Fic Title: Bookends: We Gather Together

Fic Author: Shotzette

Review By: Missy

Letter Grade: A

 

***

“We Gather Together”, a part of the Bookends Universe, follows the Kosnowski/DeFazio clan as they attempt to survive a Thanksgiving with most of their “nearest and dearest,” as Laverne puts it.  Unfortunately, a thousand little snags pop up to make life quite difficult and darken the family’s doorstep. 

 

Everyone’s bringing something to Laverne’s table all right – she only wishes it were turkey and stuffing.   Suffering silently is Shirley – whom Laverne hasn’t spent a holiday with in over ten years – who brings a buckling marriage to Walter and her granddaughter Caitlyn.  Caitlyn’s in the middle of a heavy romance with the Kosnowski’s college-graduate son Andy.  (they’re also bearing a secret).  Squiggy comes bearing his recently made-over daughter, who sparks with Lenny and Laverne’s other boy, Frank.  Carmine brings a piece of arm candy half his age who has an embarrassing connection to his daughter, Marianne, who only drags along her anxiety from New York.   Rhonda brings along too much luggage – it’s who she may take home that’ll cause shockwaves.  But the biggest bomb of all may be dropped by Lenny’s little girl Skye, who’s bringing someone pretty unwelcome to the festivities…

 

I know it’s a little vain to start out the review section with something I’m rather involved with, but this is one of my favorite fics.  Funny, poignant and redolent of memory and nostalgia, Shotzette does such a good job building up the tension in this piece.   The battle between the Kosnowskis and the onslaught of problems tossed on their laps isn’t waged with violence but with humor.  Surprises unfold logically – and there’s not a bad twist offered.

 

All of the familiar Bookends-verse versions of the characters are about – given the most time to shine are Lenny’s daughter Skye and, surprisingly, Carmine, who carried the 1977 arc of the story.  In this one he goes through a number of passages, all of which he tries to transcend with grace (and kindasorta fails).  Laverne and Lenny ably abet everyone, and ultimately they’re the eye in the chaos swirling about them, and Squiggy – who rarely appears in this universe – makes a highly amusing appearance.  This is also our first look at Patty, his saintly (or is she?) wife, and his sullen daughter, Liz.

 

The lovliest exchange occurs when Laverne and Lenny are alone in their bed.  Lenny is grappling with a recent shock, and Laverne turns to him in the dark and says, “let it go, Len.  They’re not us.  We’re lucky.”  So they are.  And so are we when we read this fic and remember.