When a terrible accident happens at Laurel and David's home, time begins to roll backwards. Oddly, the victim, Molly, never really becomes more than the body in the swimming pool. We don't learn much about Molly accept through the police and strangely a Ouija board. Oddly, Molly's death is almost repeated again in the body of Shelly while Bet, a friend stands near. Laurel and Thalia, her sister, fascinated me. Sisters close in age hold the same experiences remembered in different ways. No matter these two people are eye witnesses to what has happened and will never happen again in their lives. Perhaps, the sights and sounds may never become spoken about fully again because of "cowslipping." I am thinking about Uncle Marty.
I had never heard of cowslipping. I never expect to hear the word used in this way again. Although, I will never forget this delicate word. Laurel learns about Cowslip, a rabbit, after reading a book. She begins to call an action her mother takes as cowslipping. "Cowslip...he willfully stopped knowing, and he made every other rabbit in the warren stop knowing, too...Talia was right: Mother was Cowslip."
Cowslipping is powerful. Laurel and Thalia's mother had become talented at closing her mind to ugliness and seeing only what her mind could understand and accept and own as a part of her life. The problem with cowslipping is that all who live in this person's world will almost magically begin to cowslip too whether they choose to or not. I also think other people in the novel used cowslipping as a protective barrier.
This book also made me think about the world of children. A child's world is so fragile. There is the fear of authority figures. There is the deep desire for friendship. There is the inability to give words to experiences. Sadly, adults unwillingly begin to not remember that fragile of childhood. That world becomes gently broken apart like a bubble leaving the adult unable to catch their falling child every single time as invisible dragons fly all around the child. Sadly, these dragons are very visible to the child. I am left wanting to tap a wand on every child's shoulder hoping that someone will always see and protect them from all their ugly dragons. I wish all there bad dreams remain just spooky dreams of the night. Joshilyn Jackson
