Sidewalk Symphony: A Novel

Peter McLaughlin
Xlibris (2007)
ISBN 9781425750183     
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/07)

“Sidewalk Symphony” begins in the year 1918 and continues through 81 years.  In 1918, a sidewalk is created by a man who takes great pride in his work.  A young lady who is recovering from pneumonia inscribes a prayer in the wet cement.  She lists her family’s names and, “Please, God, bring Dad home safely.”  Her father is away in the war.  She and her mother hope that by inscribing this prayer in the cement, it will make it stronger. 

As the years progress, people walk by this inscription wonder about the author, and whether or not her father returned.  Some of them even investigate who she was.  Four other women’s lives are discussed in relation to this sidewalk.  Each one has her own story to tell.  They mainly evolve around love and loss, and in the end, learning to love the right person.

I loved “Sidewalk Symphony.”  In spite of being written during certain time periods, the stories are really timeless.  The women experience the same needs, wants and feelings through each time period.  They have to deal with betrayals, insecurities, and discovering their strengths.  They also discover that the handsome man that they’ve fallen for isn’t always the best choice.  It is more important to find someone with depth and integrity.  

Mr. McLaughlin has a talent for writing classic poignant stories.  I really wished that the book was longer because I wasn’t ready for it to end when it did.  I loved the idea of the heartfelt inscription lasting for so many years.  When I see handprints or names immortalized in cement, I have always wondered what stories were behind them.  I wonder the same thoughts when I see antique dishes or furniture.  These pieces have so many memories made with them.  The idea for this story was very unique, but I hope that there will be more books like “Sidewalk Symphony” to follow.

Make comment on weblog