5.13.20

“The Secret of Everything”

I generally read through a book every week, sometimes two, and often find myself drawn to mysteries and moody Scandinavian thrillers. I think a lot of the appeal comes from the fact that many are part of a series - we readers get to know the main characters, drawn into their stories slowly over time.

But this week I felt the need to leave the darkness behind and got lost in a book by Barbara O’Neal much more about day-to-day life. It was very much about character too and even included a bit of a mystery, but it was also heavily about place; a place I have never been and dreamed about visiting. I was reminded about why I fell in love with movies for the first time, watching Out of Africa (a book first!) as a young’ish girl. How magical and joyful, even when sad, it can be to watch, listen or read about someone transformed and transported by the place they inhabit. How, if written well, we can imagine ourselves in their place and feel connected to their experience. How we can escape and find ourselves at the same time.