“A Perfect Day” by Richard Paul Evans was a little bit hard for me to get into at first, but after the first chapter, I was sucked into the story.
Robert Harlan sells advertising space for a radio station, and is deeply in love with his wife Allyson and his daughter, Carson. Carson was named after Allyson’s father, who died shortly before she married Robert. The death was quick, brought about by a cancer that Allyson didn’t know existed until her father called her to come back home from college to spend one last, perfect day with him.
Years later, Allyson still treasures that day with her father, and remembers the time she spent in his care until his death.
When Robert loses his job, Allyson suggests that he take some time to do something he’s always wanted to do – write a book. He agrees and gets right to work, coming up with a completed manuscript in an astonishing amount of time. He’s entitled it “A Perfect Day,” and it’s the story of the time Allyson spent with her father before his passing. Allyson is honored that he chose her as the subject for his book, and supports him as he seeks an agent.
He’s published in record time, and as fame and fortune build, his relationship with Allyson becomes strained. He’s asked to go on a long book tour which takes him away from home for six weeks, and when he returns, the demands on his time are such that he can’t carve out a minute for his family. Before long, he and Allyson are separated, wondering if they’ll be able to survive this rollercoaster ride called fame.
This book explores the importance of keeping our priorities straight, working together when things get tough, and most of all, remembering that it’s love that keeps us going.
A movie made from this book, starring Rob Lowe, will be released to DVD next week.
(This book was published in 2003 by Penguin Group.)
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