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The Art of Friendship

Erin kaye - HarperCollins e-book

Read By: Ajeng

I change the third novel of “The good good-bye” with this one because the diction is much easier to understand. Also, I love the idea of friendship because not everyone has close friends as they can say they are in “friendship”.

READING ACTIVIES
NRDateBook's Chapter/PagesPages/WordsPlaceTime
124 October 2017Chapter 1 and 249Class and Bedroom1 hour
Comment:

The diction that is used is understandable although there are still some which I need to confirm on dictionary. This two chapter indroduces 4 girls who now have turned to 30 and more. 3 woman were married and 1 was single. Their names are Patsy, Clare, Kristy, and Janice. They had new year party in Janice's place. Janice was kind of pesimistic mother of Pete. Patsy's hubby: Martin, Clare's hubby: Liam, and Janice's : Keith.
It all started with new year resolutions. Kirsty, who was now a single, has the resolution to date at least 4 men in the next year. Patsy, she wanted to give her husband surprise for their 25 anniversary a trip to Fermanagh. Clare, she was good at painting and she wanted to restart doing it. But, Janice didn't have any idea for resolution-thing.

226 October 2017Chapter 315bedroom35
Comment:

This part tells about Kirsty's background. She is a widow of 2 boys. Her husband passed away because of an accident in the street. It was 3 years ago. Their marriage was actually not in a good vibe. They didn't sleep in the same bed for about months. So, she just felt sorry because Scott died when she didn't have the love for him. She lived with Scott's parents. Harry and Dorothy, they always took good care of her children.

328 October 2017Chapter 3 & Chapter 443bedroom1 hour
Comment:

Clare, she had 2 children: a boy and a little girl. She had a problem with Zoe, the former wife of his husband. She also didn't really get along with her stepdaughter, the name was Izzy. Izzy was raised by an assistant when she was baby. maybe that's why she was indifferent. Izzy only act polite with her father, Liam.
The 4 women then gathered at small bistro no. 11. They talked about everything, especially about Clare and Kirsty's topic.

43 November 2017Chapter 524bedroom35 minutes
Comment:

here's the chapter telling about Patsy and her family. She had 2 daughters that had been adolescence and a husband named Martin. They were a happy family, indeed. But, that night, Patsy was thinking something else. Recently, Martin always arrived home late. That night, she saw him coming with tears. She guessed a job would never make him go down. She thought that Martin had an affair. But, maybe it was just her thought. Martin said that it was a company's share that they put. It didn't show any good prospect.

56 November 2017Chapter 636bedroom, foodstall1 hour
Comment:

Here's a chapter about Kirsty. Kirsty had a parent-in law named Harry and Dorothy. They were really kind since they always took care of her sons, David and Adam. She had a resolution this year, dating a man, or at least moved on from her bad memory about Scott. In fact, she couldn't do it because she felt guilty to Harry and Dorothy if she had another family. They had been so kind. But, she deserved a future with her kids and new family. Instead of dating, she just thought another good resolution. That was getting a job. She told her parent-in law about it, but Harry seemed didn't show an agreement. She was on her track, so she explained it to Harry that she needed an activity to do.

610 November 2017Chapter 720bedroom24 minutes
Comment:

Kirsty got the letter form the councill where she applied the job. It was good friday morning. She got the job! When she was in her euphoric feeling, she was noticed by Chris, a failry-old man who was a gardener. She was blushed because chris smiled at her. She was a widow, and maybe it was normal when she had a feeling with people that weren't exactly new. Chris came over and had conversation with her. They talked about Kirsty's garden, and her romance of course.

711 November 2017Chapter 711bedroom18 minutes
Comment:

Kirsty came to see her friends at no 11, as usual. They celebrate Kirsty's new job. In the morning, SHe came to Dorothy and Harry. Harry now understood that it's for Kirsty's life and won't change anything. Although they knew the effect of getting new job--make a distance.

813 November 2017Chapter 819Bedroom25 Minutes
Comment:

Here's story about Janice when she was young. Truth be told, Keith actually is not real father of Pete. She had been parenting for Pete about 2 years before met Keith. Janice had bad past memories. Her bad habit

914 November 2017Chapter 812Bedroom16
Comment:

Janice wanted to make a scrapbook for Pete as a present on his birthday. But, Pete suddenly appeared and declared that he didnt want it. Janice was hurt and sad, but she realized that Pete's attitude is also because of her fault. When Pete was baby, she didnt give a warm care to him. She had been a bad mother she thought.

1015 November 2017Chapter 917Bedroom23 minutes
Comment:

Patsy..
Her planning to go on holiday has been ruined by his husband attitude. Martin was never lie to her since they married. But, that day, he tells a lie that he didnt come to Belyferguson, in fact she saw him there when she was in the shop. Martin was angry because he had been accused. Patsy then came to no. 11, as usual, to share her feeling with her friends.

1117 November 2017Chapter 910bedroom15 minutes
Comment:

While the girls were meeting, they talked about their story one by one. Patsy told her friends about her uneasy feeling toward Martin that she thought maybe Martin had an affair. Clare with her story about the exhibition. Kirsty also had a chance to speak, she finally said that she got a feeling to Chris, the gardener. Patsy said that Chris divorced his wife 10 years ago.

1218 November 2017Chapter 1037bedroom45 minutes
Comment:

This part talks about Clare and her problem at home. Clare planned an exhibition of her painting while she had problems with her husband. Wednesday night, as usual, Izzy came to spent the night with her father. but, Liam was late. Clare, at home, who couldn't make him a dinner, left him for doing her painting in the studio. There's so much pressure between Clare and Liam. When Clare got home late after 12, she argued with her husband. Liam was tired at work and she was just tired that Liam didn't understand her. She asked him to be more responsible such as help her to take care children at weekends, but Liam argued that that's supposed to be Clare's responsibility as the children were still under 5.

1320 November 2017Chapter 1110Bedroom15 minutes
Comment:

Chris came to do the gardening in Kirsty's house. Adam dan David helped him as they play in the garden. Kirsty intentionally chose Friday as her off because she wanted to meet Chris.

1420 November 2017Chapter 119Bedroom20 minutes
Comment:

I read while responding my friends'chat, so it's bit long to read just 9 pages.

Here, Chris said that he would like to find another job and move somewhere. Kirsty who has fallen in love with him cant express any feeling. She thought she just has to accept the reality that maybe Chris has no feeling at all to her because he wanted to move

1524 November 2017Chapter 1212bedroom20 minutes
Comment:

Patsy was angry at Martin because he was hiding something. Then, Martin told her what actually happened. Martin had lost his job 4 weeks ago, but he didn't tell Patsy anything about it. Why? because he wanted to find another job before he tells her. Patsy couldn't forgive him easily, everything went to be so complicated.

1628 November 2017Chapter 1210bedroom15 minutes
Comment:

At the night, they met at the usual place number 11 to tell each of their story, sharing anything. Patsy told anything that happened between her and Martin. Then came Janice. It was the first time Janice told something to her friends about Pete that actually his father wasn't Keith. She found difficult and afraid if she had to tell him about that.

172 December 2017Chapter 128bedroom16 minutes
Comment:

The women then shared their point of view toward Janice's problem. Clare who were aftraid about the painting (because Janice handle all) couldn't give any response. But then Janice said that nothing will bother the exhibition.

184 December 2017Chapter 128bedroom13 minutes
Comment:

Oh, My God!!! When patsy came home, she found the girls were crying... she had two daughters, Laura, and Sarah. Want to guess? Laura's pregnant!

196 December 2017chapter 1321bedroom30 minutes
Comment:

After telling her parents the story why she got pregnant, Laurel began to cry again. Patsy was so mad and ashamed that Pete Kitpatrick, Janice's son, is the baby's father. Laura and he met at a party and did stupid thing. But, Pete didn't come over after they did it, Laura's heart was shattered, and so was her parents.

208 December 2017Chapter 1415bedroom20 minutes
Comment:

Patsy phoned Janice in the morning saying that she and Martin would come over to tell something. Janice who heard Patsy's intonation felt something wrong with her friend, but she didn't know it. Janice told Keith that news, and Keith just thought that maybe they just wanted to lend some money because they were in crisist.

219 December 2017Chapter 1418bedroom30 minutes
Comment:

Patsy and Martin came to her friends house to clarify the thing. After Janice and Keith knew what was happening, they feel ashamed and bad for his son. Pete is an ignorant and disobedient guy, Janice knew it by her heart actually. But for Keith, it is surprising. The relationship between Patsy and Janice was broken, there was a sadness and dissappointment of Pete who did not want to say sorry or even responsible at all.

2211 December 2017Chapter 1551bedroom1 hour and 10 minutes
Comment:

Clare... so pitty. She had a successful exhibition of her paintings. All were sold out. Her friend, Janice, bought 2 pictures and the Robinson help her so much. Clare was home after all and find her husband cheating!!!
Kirsty... she thought Chris would have left her and did not care about her.

2312 December 2017Chapter 1626bedroom35
Comment:

Kirsty came around to see Clare in her house. But, she found Clare was drinking because she was depressed by her husband who is close to another woman. Kirsty just warned Clare not to drink and then drive.
On Friday, Kirsty decided to meet Chris and talked about her feeling to him. But, Chris said that he had a job in Dubai and would immediately prepare all the things. Automatically, Kirsty did not continue what she wanted to say. She tried to be grateful for the life that she lives.

2413 December 2017Chapter 1731bedroom45
Comment:

Kirsty imagined the time when Scott passed away, she did not have a love a wife should have. She had been on her own. At that day, she permitted Adam, her son, to go cycling with his friends. Actually, she was worried a lot because of the memories of her husband. All of the sudden, her neighbor said that Adam got an accident. She was startled and run over to take care of him. Guess what? The one who caused the accident although not hit Adam exactly was CLARE. Kirsty then was very angry. Okay, another scratch of friendship.

2515 December 2017Chapter 1839bedroom55
Comment:

Janice and Keith, at last, told Pete that actually, Keith was not his biological father. Pete was so disrespectful to Janice knowing that her mother could not tell who was his real father. Janice tried to be strong. For her, living with Pete hatred is better than telling him the real truth.

2616 December 2017Chapter 1934bedroom45
Comment:

Laura had an abortion in London accompanied by her mum. All were well organized. Janice came to meet Patsy, but Patsy chose to end their friendship due to her heartbreak of what Pete did.
But after that, Sarah, her elder daughter, said that Laura had lied to Patsy. Laura was actually responsible to for what she had done.

2717 December 2017Chapter 2055bedroom1 hour 20 minutes
Comment:

Clare who was messed up, back home from a walk with her children. She found Liam, Izzy, and Zoe inside their home. Zoe blamed Clare for what had happened, small car accident. Surprisingly, Izzy was on Clare side. She said its just little mistake and Liam should not have to get along with the other woman because it hurts Clare so much. Clare was miserable after all. Then, Liam said sorry to Clare, and they would sort the things out and tried for their marriage to be better. They will come to the marriage counselor.

2818 December 2017Chapter 2128bedroom40 minutes
Comment:

Kirsty met Chris again and suddenly poured everything she felt on him. The past story of her and Scott, and of course her feeling. Guess what? Chris said he took a job in Dubai because he believed that Kirsty was not going to interested in him, he was too unconfident. But then they declare that they love each other, "now that I've got you. I am never letting you go"

2920 December 2017Chapter 22 and Chapter 2389bedroom, campus, food stall2 hour 30 minutes
Comment:

So....
Here is the conclusion of All.
There's a puzzle and there's a solution.
Their friendship after all works again. Their marriage and their economic condition also work well.

Patsy and Martin then open a coffee corner and a cafe in their house. It did not give them so much income, but they were happy after all and grateful.

Keith was a dreamed father and husband. He supported Janice for what Janice was and is. He was clever and kind. Janice was grateful knowing that Keith supported her as much as he could. Although her relationship with Pete did not work well, she felt relieved that she found a new activity that might help her to heal, that is helping other people who suffer painful problem by studying counselor at a college.

Kirsty and her new man, Chris, were getting married in February. They would move to Dubai along with her children. Kirsty was happy after all.

Clare and Liam, they suffered many problems in their marriage. But by the present of Izzy, things actually changed. Their family was going well and also the relationship.

The four best friends, after all, met again in New year Eve. Some of them achieved their resolution of the previous year. Some were suffering until they succeeded to go on living and get things better. They were happy. They realized that family and friendship are the most precious things they have.