It is sometimes difficult to separate how you feel about a book from what you’re feeling while reading it. I won’t deny it. I was beat down, dispirited, and spiraling into a low place while experiencing the sequence of events in this story. But it’s that presence of an immeasurable power contained inside carefully crafted words that propels this story to a coveted 5-star review.
The historical roots of this story alongside its uncanny relevance to our present-day world remind me how often history repeats itself. Sometimes our paths run parallel to those in our past, and sometimes they intersect. Even if for only a split second, that intersection creates a moment of realization. It conveys something that transcends generational gaps. It causes walls to crumble around the heart, letting that powerful message slip inside.
This is one of those books I need in physical form. I need to see it sitting on my bookshelf, to remind me of its message every time I walk past it. The sentimental thoughts, the words of wisdom, the heartfelt and raw emotion shared by so many varied characters throughout the story make this a book that would have corners earmarked on every other page (even if I can’t normally bring myself to crease a book’s spine too far in the spirit of keeping it pristine).
Throughout this story, I felt a deepening connection with each of the characters along with the developing message they carry. About two-thirds of the way through the book, that message overpowered me. Imagine my surprise when that message stared back at me on the page, in the exact words I was thinking it, near the end of the story. Whether you’re a reader, an author, or any person in the world, I believe it’s what we crave most. Connection.
Despite the overwhelming sense of loss experienced over the course of these pages, it was almost as if each person, place, or thing removed from the equation created a clearer window to see through. And once that transparent pane of glass revealed what was on the other side, it became so easy to realize just how close the thing you desire most has been there all along.
This is a story about hope, bravery, loss, and determination. Perhaps these are like four winds that blow in from different directions, meeting us at that opportune moment in our lives when it all finally makes sense. And when it does, we finally notice, with a healthy amount of serendipity, that those raw and sometimes confusing emotions come together to create the simplest yet most powerful sentiment of all. Love.
Dave’s Rating: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
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