One time a boy kissed me and I almost died… And so begins the story of Jubilee Jenkins, a young woman with a rare and debilitating medical condition: she’s allergic to other humans. After a humiliating near-death experience in high school, Jubilee has become a recluse, living the past nine years in the confines of the small town New Jersey house her unaffectionate mother left to her when she … left to her when she ran off with a Long Island businessman. But now, her mother is dead, and without her financial support, Jubilee is forced to leave home and face the world–and the people in it–that she’s been hiding from.
One of those people is Eric Keegan, a man who just moved into town for work. With a daughter from his failed marriage who is no longer speaking to him, and a brilliant, if psychologically troubled, adopted son, Eric’s struggling to figure out how his life got so off-course, and how to be the dad–and man–he wants so desperately to be. Then, one day, he meets a mysterious woman named Jubilee, with a unique condition…
Close Enough to Touch is an evocative, poignant, and heartrending exploration of the power and possibilities of the human heart.
From the author of Before I Go comes an unconventional love story perfect for fans of the emotional novels of Jodi Picoult and Jojo Moyes.
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I read the first two sentences in a “synopsis” about this book on Goodreads and added it to my “To Read” list. Then I borrowed a copy from our library’s consortium and got to read it! I was intrigued by the idea of the main character’s problem. What a thought! What a story that would make! And it did. It was definitely a book for adults; I’m glad I didn’t try to read it aloud to our kids or something. There were fun facts and plenty of dilemmas, some mysteries and revealings, and some romance without any sex or homosexuality. I liked all of that! Thanks! The time lapses and everything were great, as was the newspaper article. AND I AM SO GLAD IT ENDED LIKE IT DID BECAUSE I SUDDENLY BECAME SUPER AFRAID AT THE END THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE RESIGNED TO WHERE IT WAS LEADING ME, but then … yep. Okay. Okay! Thank you again. Phew! This was the first book I have read by this author.
Oh, and I also liked that this book was about people reading books, and people who worked in a library, and it talked about other books, some of which I may go ahead and read, and one or two I have already read and understand the enjoyment gleaned from them.
I wrote down a couple of segments in my “Keepers” journal as well:
I like knowing that I’m touching her with my words.
Mr. Walcott used to say, “Time heals all wounds.” But it’s not true. Time doesn’t heal anything. All it does is dull the memory, until some reminder … sharpens the focus, takes your breath, and all the feelings come rushing back.
That being said, I just LIKED that wording. I mean, I really think time doesn’t heal all wounds, but I totally understand the saying, and I LIKE the saying. I wrote in my Keepers book, “Time doesn’t heal things–God does!”
First, I just love the cover on the paperback it really fits the book! Second, reading this book during this time of Covid-19 it is a little easier to know what Jubilee is going through (different but sorta the same). I just love the courage that Jubilee shows through out this book, although she does not think of it that way. It’s a great reminder to all of us, just because someone looks different or even odd by the choices of their cloths and how they act, they may have problems we can not see. I really loved this book and would recommend to all who love great writing!
Beautiful book with a complex, touching, very unusual protagonist, and a story line that is both deeply unique and, from the standpoint of human relationships, powerfully recognizable.
LOVE. It’s love that we all want. Even Jubilee Jenkins, a seemingly normal young woman who has the misfortune of an allergy to human touch. Not metaphorical, not imagined, an actual allergy that sends her into shock, literally — into breath-defying, heart stopping, death inducing anaphylaxis. What could be more antithetical to the urge for human touch than that?
Not much, Jubilee finds. After her strange and somewhat dysfunctional mother (the entirety of her family) leaves town, ultimately leaving her the house of her childhood to keep, Jubilee develops a nine-year case of agoraphobia. It’s only when her mother dies and the trust set up to pay the mortgage of that house concludes, demanding that Jubilee find some source of regular income, that she’s forced to face her horror of the OUTSIDE: traffic, places, noises… people. One of those people is an old acquaintance from high school, one with whom she had a strange and mysterious connection, and it is this friend who barrels back into her life to help her find her feet. She begins by helping her find a job at the local library.
Once employed, Jubilee is daily met with the challenges inherent to being part of the world: interacting with people, learning new skills, regulating her schedule, managing to work without ever being touched, and… meeting a guy. One of those guys. The kind you slowly and inexorably fall in love with. And when that happens, Jubilees bounces between the despair of realizing she can never touch or be touched in the act of love, OR she is obligated to once again pursue a course of potential cure, one that hasn’t worked in the past and demands a faith and determination she doesn’t know she has anymore.
From there the story unfolds in so many involving, compelling, moving, heartbreaking, joyful ways that you’ll never want it to end. I didn’t want it to end. Which brings me to my final kudos: the end. Lately I’ve read far too many books that seem to have forgotten the power and NEED for a good ending. Too many either leave us hanging, offer an unrealistic conclusion, or simply wander off as if they weren’t sure how to tie up their story. I loved the way this book ended. Without pandering or falling into “ride off into the sunset” pabulum, Oakley brought the narrative to an unexpected, joyful, even somewhat open-ended conclusion that was just the right touch.
Wonderful work; highly recommended.
Very cute
Thoroughly enjoyed.
A story with an unusual premise, but with a surprising amount of humor. Two people who are so emotionally and physically drawn together, yet cannot even touch, makes for an incredible, even intense story. You find yourself rooting for Jubilee and Eric. With their sad backgrounds, they both deserve happiness. Young Aja, adopted by Eric, really helps to bring them together. But there are obstacles, the biggest one being Jubilee’s actual allergy to all others.
Unique story-line. Really enjoyed the characters and how they were portrayed,
I had never heard of this disorder before so it was very interesting and really got to my heart.
I liked the premise of the story and the characters were very believable.
Heartfelt and unique. Each character had such depth. I couldn’t put it down. This is the first book I’ve read by Colleen Oakley. I definitely want to read more!
This is one of the best book bub books I have read. A little disjointed at first–I couldn’t see the connection. But it became clear that these two characters would collide somehow. I thought this was well written, with lots of literary references, and full of witty comments between characters. I am currently reading it a second time, just to catch more of the nuances. And this is one book bub book I have recommended to my friends. So glad I found it!
Very emotional story. Realistic characters. Good read.
A great story. I had a hard time putting it down-I think I read it in two days! I hate when work interferes with finishing a great book! The implications of being allergic to other human beings is mind-boggling and yet some people and their families live with life-threatening allergies daily. Although I was glad to know that Jubliee’s allergy was fiction, I was interested to learn about the on-going research on immunotherapy research. As a grandmother of a Type 1 diabetic, I believe immunotherapy will be the key to cure no only food allergies but also diabetes and even cancer, possibly in my lifetime!