Saving Elijah

by Fran Dorf

The clicks and beeps of cardiac monitors, the labored breathing of children struggling to survive--these are the sounds of a pediatric intensive care unit. They become the harsh counterpoint to the poignant melody of parental anguish that structures Fran Dorf's Saving Elijah . Dinah Rosenberg Galligan's 5-year-old son Elijah (whose young body is a cacophony of neurological glitches, learning disabilities, PDD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, a heart defect, and more) lies in a coma, and his parents must face the possibility of losing their beloved youngest And how would I survive if every molecule in my body had been corrupted? I'm not sure when the molecule thing happens, as you carry a child or simply as you mother him, but I was sure that each of my cell nuclei was unalterably made up of four parts, one part me, one part Kate, one part Alex, and one part Elijah. If a crucial Elijah-piece of each cell nucleus were suddenly sliced off at the cellular level, I was certain the missing piece of each cell would defile the whole structure until, eventually, it crumbled to dust. I could feel edges crumbling already. But then Dinah hears a mysteriously familiar a version of the lullaby she has always sung to Elijah. When Dinah tracks it to its source, she sees a ghost. Playing the guitar and perching on a couch in the ICU waiting room, the ghost--that of the appropriately named Seth Lucien, Dinah's first lover--both taunts Dinah in her grief and invites her to rescue Elijah from the angel of death. The novel is essentially a reworking of the archetypal Faustian to what extent will Dinah go to save her son? Is the ghost a means of salvation or an instrument of torment? It leads Dinah both backward and forward in she must explore the failings of her past, and tread uncertainly the various futures that lie before her, some of them truly horrifying. It will come as no surprise to any parent--or to any reader of Goethe--that Dinah accepts the ghost's her son will live, but she must live with the ghost forever within her. Elijah's stunning recovery from the coma grants him an uncanny ability to understand and empathize with the pain of others. He alone comprehends his mother's sacrifice as the rest of Dinah's life begins to disintegrate. Dorf ( Flight , A Reasonable Madness ) has crafted a moving testament to maternal grief, which is at its most powerful when Dorf sets forth, in spare and eloquent prose, Dinah's fears, her anxieties, her crippling sense that she is to blame for Elijah's illness. But when Dorf dwells upon the metaphysics of the afterlife, or veers into lurid descriptions of the ghost's desire to "possess" Dinah, the writer's eloquence becomes turgid. Luckily, these moments are the exception. Saving Elijah is both delicately rendered and poignant. --Kelly Flynn

389 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2000

About the author

Fran Dorf is the author of three internationally published, acclaimed works of fiction: A Reasonable Madness (Birch Lane/Signet); Flight (Dutton Signet) and Saving Elijah (Putnam)
Fran is also an expert on bereavement and blogs as THE BRUISED MUSE on "life, grief, and everything inbetween (politics, writing,
books, film, spirituality, human rights, etc.)" at

http://www.frandorf.com
http://www.bruisedmuse.com


A few of many reviews of Saving Elijah:

Stunning, spellbinding. Crackles with
suspense, dark humor, and provocative questions...and meditates with honesty and insight on the nature of parental love and responsibility."
Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review


Ambitious, imaginative, and beautifully done. Wall Street Journal

Fascinating, skillful, a fiercely compelling read. Glamour

Wrenching and poignant. Avoids easy mysticism or psychologizing. A tough minded interrogative approach to grief. Washington Post

Totally engrossing. Dorf turns the spotlight on maternal grief and exposes much of what has been mostly unspoken by those outside this sad sisterly circle. The emotions rendered here cut right to the bone. Once you experience this well written and compelling story, you will be strangely uplifted and better able to face life’s complications head on. Columbus Alive

Reviews

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's almost impossible to categorize this book. I knew that the subject matter was about a mother's relationship with a child who might die, so I was expecting my painful reaction at the beginning of the book. But I had no idea that I'd be dealing with an evil ghost who invades the mother's world and threatens her sanity. The protagonist Dinah, is drawn with great sympathy and a ruthless eye for her flaws. The other members of the family read like real people to me. And the character of Elijah, a rather other-worldly child, will remain with me for a long time. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes books about families, relationships and the mysteries of life.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Elijah captivated me from the prologue. Dorf's transitions between present and past are seamless. She offers a unique and insightful twist on the length a mother will go to to save her child. Through the voice of Dinah, the mother, Dorf explores concepts of theology, anticipatory grief, futile care, and the way our past shapes us and attempts to dictate our future. She avoids the easy cliches and offers a thought-provoking look into the complex relationship between mother and ill child.

[Ev Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost put this book down in the first chapter, when I realized it was about a terminally ill child and his mother's struggle to cope . . . I'm so glad I decided to keep with it. Incredibly well-written and thought-provoking--and despite its painful subject matter, not without hope. Makes you ponder: If you could literally make a deal with the devil to save your child would you . . . or _should_ you?

Readers who appreciate Jodi Piccoult's themes will especially enjoy this book.

[Zacksmom Okon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, really difficult to sink your teeth into....but hang in there -- it wasn't a complete waste of time. Once I was 3/4 of the way through, it started to get interesting. All in all, it was just o.k.

[Carolanne wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just couldn't put this book down. Every mother understands.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een vreemd verhaal maar fascinerend. Een boek over omgaan met verlies en hoe de tijd krijgen om dit te accepteren soms ook een mirakel is.

[Jennifer Dawn]

Beautiful and haunting story that provokes deep thought and questions about our own realities and the journeys that lead us there.