" What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?
" That she was beautiful. And brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And The Beatles. And me. Once, when she specifically lumped me with those musical types, I asked her what the order was, and she replied, smiling, 'Alphabetical' At the time I smiled too. But now I wonder whether she was listing me by my first name--in which case I would trail Mozart--or by my last name, in which case I would edge in there between Bach and The Beatles. Either way I don't come first, which bothers the hell out of me..."
My copy of Love Story by Erich Segal is the most tattered and worn book I own. Its thin little body lives on my nightstand under my alarm clock away from my book shelf collection for whenever I feel like a good cry. I would say I pick it up a minimum of once a year--which used to not sound like a lot, but feels more often these days. Somehow it never makes it on my list of "favorite books" when I list them off, but it is no doubt part of it. Even typing out this opening paragraph gets me chocked up. Jenny is a character I want to hate for her cynicism and sarcasm, but when I read her through Oliver's eyes I cant help but love her too. And these two characters and their surroundings just embody beautiful New England, and all the romantic things it has to offer. From the world of the very privileged down to the paycheck-to-paycheck working class. Since having started Dakota Martin 2 years ago I never connected the Love Story aesthetic and that 70s preppy vibe Ill always adore. So when I saw this spread recently in O magazine with Angie Harmon channeling Ali McGraw/Jenny (which she does fabulously well I might add) I connected how much Dakota Martin worships Jenny and her world. If youve never read it I strongly recommend you pick yourself up a copy. I'd lend you mine but it might fall apart.
