Why The Whippoorwill Sang - a memoir reviewed by Kenneth Weene

[Kenneth Weene]

In sharing her life, Micki Peluso has also shared her strength. From Pennsylvania to Long Island to Las Vegas and then once again to Pennsylvania, we follow the story of this woman and her family making their way in blue-collar America. That they succeed despite the absence of education and family connections is a tribute to their grit, perseverance, and - when it was most necessary - their faith.

This is not, however, a simple family saga. Interwoven with this story of life's normal challenges is the story of one child's death, a child of grace and warmth, the one for whom the Whippoorwill sang. Struck down by a drunk driver, this youngster's untimely and tragic death helps us to truly appreciate this family's resilience and bonds of love. Woven through the story are scenes of those last days. Peluso brings us into the hospital waiting room, to the bedside, and to the church. More importantly, she draws us into the horrible internal struggle in which she, her husband, and the rest of the family must decide when to let Noelle pass.

This is a book about a family that is very human and real, strong and resilient, at times angry and rigid and at others wonderfully silly and flexible. These are people the reader wants to know.