Fixing Delilah: A reading response

Once upon a time, there was a girl. Her name was Delilah Hannaford, and almost everyone she cares about is gone. Her mom is always caught up in her work. Her dad has been gone for years. Forget about her aunt and grandmother. An unknown conflict has split the Hannaford’s apart.
Then her grandmother dies. Delilah and her mom have to go to Red Falls, her grandmother’s home. Delilah hasn’t been there in years, and she reunites with her childhood and her aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel is the exact opposite from Delilah’s mom. She reads tarot cards and isn’t as tightly wound as her sister is.
Delilah is depressed in this book, but reuniting with her family really uplifts her and changes her. I think all the Hannaford’s needed was some compassion towards each other to resolve what issues they had with each other. Aunt Rachel says this, which is one of my favorite quotes. “Need anything specific? Milk? Toilet paper? Compassion, maybe? I’ll get a bunch…..”
There is a theme of family throughout the book. I think living without any family could really change you, because we are all what we’ve grown up around. Delilah has grown up around a sense of desperation, and at the beginning, she is desperate. The book is titled “Fixing Delilah”, and she is definitely “fixed” by the end of the book. So is her mom. She actually chooses to leave her job because she realizes how much she has missed from life and how her work affects Delilah. She even learns to embrace some of her mistakes from Aunt Rachel.
Part of Delilah’s family isn’t really related to her. I’m referring to her childhood friend Patrick. Delilah hasn’t had good friends in ages, and Patrick really helps her open up to people. Delilah also helps Patrick realize his dream as well.
We can all help each other. I haven’t been through the things that Delilah has been through. My family is pretty close, and I can’t imagine a conflict that would split us apart. I can relate to Delilah when it comes to a childhood friend. I have many friends, and being with your friends just allows you to be you.
 The Hannaford’s have had many problems. But in the end, they all learn to be purely them, not someone they invented.