June 17, 2004

ON MY BOOKSHELF

‘Into the Forest’
by Jean Hegland

Anne Lee, 56,
teacher, Del Robles Elementary School

School’s out. Sidewalk traffic proves that much. Apparently nothing sparks a primary student’s sense of liberty like mid-June and a 15 horsepower, lawn mower engine strapped to the back of a scooter.

This week thousands of local kids were released into the wilds of South San Jose for a highly anticipated break from books. To them, summer marks the beginning of freedom. For their parents, it marks the end. Despite the conflict of interests, history vows one sanctuary: to every beginning there is an end. And vice-versa.

Just ask Anne Lee. A veteran to the volatile school year, Lee, who teaches second grade at Del Robles Elementary School, has seen her share of beginnings and ends. Yet, after locking her classroom doors for a 35th June and counting, Lee is ready to embark upon a new, more personal round of good-byes and hellos.

“I’m leaving for New York this weekend,” explained Lee, negotiating the finish to the school year along with detailed packing duties, in preparation for a return to upstate New York. “We’re taking my mother on what I like to call ‘The Nostalgia Tour,’” she says. “At 78, it’s like closing a chapter to her life, visiting out there where she grew up, putting it to rest.”

However, the end of New York marks a beginning in California.

“I have to get back soon,” continued Lee. “My eldest daughter is expecting a baby this summer.”
The fact puts things in perspective.

“I’ve been so fortunate,” said Lee. “I am lucky to have two strong, smart daughters. Now, I get to sit back and be a grandma. It’s exciting. It’s a new beginning.”

Recently, Lee gained a unique frame of reference considering the effects of old and new. A book, ‘Into the Forest’ by Jean Hegland evoked powerful emotions, embedding a lasting impression in Lee’s mind.

“It was a very moving story,” explained Lee. “[For the characters], their ending was like cutting the umbilical chord. They were tied to this house but it was dragging them down.”

In ‘the Forest,’ Hegland describes a situation where two sisters, Nell and Eva, are left to the wilderness. The girls, removed entirely from modern technology, must fend for themselves, stranded in a secluded Northern California forest. However, trouble brews, rendering an easier survival impossible both mentally and physically. Pain, grief and sustenance are three problems the girls must confront in their literal struggle to survive.

“Hegland worked with symbols,” said Lee. “We see the girls overcoming obstacles and making new beginnings for themselves and it gives us hope. We don’t want to get worse in life, we want to get better. When an event ends we have to learn from it and improve.”

As for Lee personally, she feels fine helping her mother finalize feelings in New York. “It can be sad sometimes realizing endings. But it’s always good to get back to your roots,” she says. “I’m anxious to become a Grandma though. I want to spoil the kid.”

Be careful. Motor scooters might be out in 2017.

—By Justin Petersen