All We Know of Love

Fifteen-year-old Natalie Gordon lives with her dad not too far from New York City. Her mom has been gone for over four years. She walked out on Natalie and didn't even leave a forwarding address or phone number. It takes a long time for them to adjust, as Natalie cries a lot and her dad drinks. But eventually they do manage to move on with their lives. Natalie relies on her best friend, Sarah, for laughter and support, and her dad learns how to make dinner and be home more often from work. Apart from Sarah, Natalie doesn't tell anyone else about her mom leaving. It's a part of her life that is too private and painful, and she doesn't feel comfortable sharing it with the world. When Sarah and Natalie start high school, they meet Adam. He is a few years older, and Sarah isn't that impressed with him. But Natalie is. She is intoxicated with the attention he gives her and becomes desperate for any ounce of love he offhandedly throws her way. Every month she prays that she'll get her period, hoping she isn't pregnant, but she always goes back to him, even after breaking up with him a few times. And then a package arrives. It's a gift from her mom. Natalie barely gives it a second glance, but does notice the return address. Without telling anyone, she buys a bus ticket to Florida and sets out on a painful journey to get some desperately needed answers. Along the way, she meets a handful of people who impact her life in different ways, with advice, directions, a kind smile, a loaned magazine and a sandwich. She also examines her unhealthy relationship with Adam. Natalie's journey, the people she meets, and the impressions and perceptions she gains will change her life forever. Nora Raleigh Baskin jumpstarts the drama on page one, propelling the reader through until the very end. Baskin cleverly weaves a few glimpses into Natalie's past as she makes her journey, sharing the building blocks that have helped make her who she is, and uses the unique approach of slipping in whispers of the lives of those Natalie encounters along the trip. ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE is written in a heartfelt style that transports the reader deep into the very core of its characters. Baskin has created another wonderful story, which hopefully will be followed by many, many more. --- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

Natalie Gordon is on a mission. Her mother walked out in mid-sentence four years ago, never to be seen again, and now Natalie is on a journey to find her. She wants to know everything: why she is the way that she is, what her mother was saying about love just before she walked out the door, and, most importantly, why her mother left. While on a twenty-four hour bus ride to Florida, she may just find some of the answers in the people she meets along the way, people just like her, people caught up in the ideas of wanting, of longing, and of what love truly means. ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE is a poignant study of the depths and shades of love, and what love means to each different person. The format of the book works well to convey this sense of the universal nature of love by placing its narrator at the center of many unfolding stories. Natalie is a pensive narrator whose musings move readers to consider their own inferiorities, and as her life touches those of characters around her, we are treated to brief glimpses into others' life experiences. In ALL WE KNOW OF LOVE, Nora Raleigh Baskin gives the reader a study in the nuances of love, and leaves her audience with a greater perspective and appreciation for the commonalities within us all. Reviewed by: Rebecca Wells

What a moving and beautifully written story; Nora Raliegh Baskin captures a journey of deeply felt emotions with words that simply ring true and seem to flow effortlessly while revealing the author's skill and her considerable gift. I recommend this book for anyone looking for their way on the road to love.