“The Nature of Fragile Things”

 

“And just as it is the nature of men and women to build, it is also in our nature to begin again after disaster.” (288)

April 18, 1906. Three womens’ lives turned upside down by one man, and all I can think about is when is the earthquake going to hit? Of course the earthquake does hit and becomes a character that moves the storyline. Lies. Deception. Greed. The fine line of right and wrong crossed again and again. Although the earthquake could have been the equalizer, it becomes the catalyst - the basis to begin again. To embrace family. To find justice. To rebuild.

“Zorrie”

“…even things that you desperately wanted to hold on to, faded from memory, while other things burned their traces so deeply they never left you.” (115)

A life well lived. Isn’t that what we all want? I wasn’t overly impressed with this novel. I was hoping that it dealt more with Zorrie’s time at the Radium Dial Company. Thirty percent into the book, I felt it had run out of storyline. And perhaps it did. OR perhaps, Zorrie’s life is not unlike my own…a series of events remembered, memories lost; a life well lived.

“Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell”

 

“ Accept yourself in this moment. Be generous to yourself today.” (129)

Body image. We are constantly bombarded with the ideal body image. Yet, where are the real women? Where are the women who choose NOT to add Botox? Where are the women who are okay with their shape and weight? How is it that women are so accepting of what other people put out there as the “norm”? How do we move on from the stereotypes?  This novel boiled down to the idea of self care. Loving ourselves, for who we are, not what others think we should be. 

“Educated”

 

“I had begun to understand that we had lent our voices to a discourse whose sole purpose was to dehumanize and brutalize.” (180)

My thoughts…

I abhor bullies. I cannot abide violence. I have a really hard time wrapping my head around abuse of any kind. I wanted to quit, but I had to know if Westover was going to stand up for herself…to survive despite her family.

For every word written there are a million different interpretations. There is never only one path, one right answer.

As we grow we expect our thinking to evolve. Experiences tend to shape us. To open our eyes to new possibilities, new paths.

Whose voice do we choose to listen to? As children? As adults? When do we decide to listen to our heart? To come to terms with our own thinking?

How do we begin to blend what we learned growing up with what the world throws at us? Can we blend this new information with our old selves? Which relationships will survive our shifts in thinking? Which relationships will suffer?

When is it time to cut the ties that cause us the most harm, and yet are at the core of our being? When do we have the courage to put self care ahead of the needs of others?

Will we ever know when we have truly come to terms with all life has thrown at us? And to be ok with the choices that we made?

Apology

 “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings with something I said.

I’m here if you want to talk.”

“The King’s Cartographer”

 

If you LOVE history…which I do, then this is an interesting read. If you prefer historical fiction - this is NOT the book for you.

Adventure. Exploitation. PIRATES. Expulsion. Religious freedom. MONEY. War. Commerce. Trade. GREED. 

An age of exploration. The desire to fill in the empty white areas of the global map. What is it our explorers are mapping today? What empty white areas of the “map” are they looking for?

Love, Alice

 

“The bond that exists between a mother and her children. It’s like an invisible cord tying your heart to theirs. And it’s a cord that can never be broken, no matter how old they get or how far they roam.” “Your children are a part of you for as long as you live.” (358)

The quote above sums up the novel. Of course there were some twists and turns. Shock every time I realized that the book was set in the 1960s and NOT the 1860s. But that thread of motherhood, and that invisible cord is what tugged at my heart. Perhaps, the novel was much more poignant for me, as I have a new granddaughter who lives 1700 miles away. My love for her is immeasurable, even though I haven’t met her yet. Yes, that invisible cord is what ties us together…