Walking Across Egypt by C.Edgerton - Book Report/Review Example

Mattie lives alone in a small house, cooking, cleaning, mowing the lawn, and working for the church. She has a family that loves her very much.  She does not want to be a burden and starts planning her own funeral. She does not interfere in her children's lives, even though she wishes they would marry. When the story begins Mattie is facing a turning point in her life. She is confused, disturbed as her family tries to convince her that she should slow down as she is becoming old. Elaine and Robert her two unmarried children expect her to do what a seventy-eight-year-old woman will normally do.

Mattie's strong character does not allow her to do this and become a stereotyped elder even though she realizes that she is showing signs of old age She wants to decide herself what direction her life should take. Her life takes a positive turn when she meets Wesley. Wesley touches her heart and revives her life. Their meeting each is quite by chance. It is through a dogcatcher, who comes to Mattie to take away the stray dog and who later once again helps her when she accidentally gets stuck in her rocking chair.

The dogcatcher after this begins to get regular Mattie’s home-cooked meals. Through him, she meets Wesley who happens to be his nephew. Wesley is attracted by Mattie's good cooking and the grandmotherly attention she showers on him and comes straight to Mattie when he escapes from the reformatory. Wesley gives Mattie a new reason to live. Mattie strongly believes that she should follow God’s instruction to “love the least of these my brethren” (Edgerton, 1987) and to her Wesley qualifies as the “least of these my brethren.

”(Edgerton, 1987) Even though her family is against her decision she decides to help Wesley as she feels that God has kept her alive for some reason and that she must fulfill His wishes and help Wesley. She wants to lead a life of happiness and fulfillment and independence.