Why I chose this book? This one was a spur-of-the-moment choice, having realised my first suggestion just wasn't right. I scanned across my bookshelves and felt sure that Esther would enjoy reading this one. Esther's right to point out that it shares some themes with my other suggestion so far - nature, the call of the wild, rejection of mainstream society: I guess these are the sorts of things that are preoccupying me at present, as well as being the sort of ground we've rambled over in our non-book talk too. I'm pretty confident, though, that these themes are entirely absent from my next choice, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, so that's alright!
It's a proper feel-good American apple-pie novel. Almost without exception, even the worst characters win your sympathy, even affection, in the end. And I think that's a good corrective to the cynicism that's all around us: of course some people are real sods, but it's good for us, good for our souls, to try and find the good, the vulnerable, in people, and love them for it. Naive, yes, but wouldn't you rather be naive than world-weary and hateful?
What else did I like? Well, it's a proper celebration of womanhood, and the wonder of the female body. Perhaps she over-states it a bit - I am sure I've never had men circling round me like moths to a flame just because I was ovulating - but it's a reminder to be more in touch with our animal bodies. And I loved the character of Nannie Rawley, as an older woman who is so comfortable in her ageing body and soul that - yep, moths again - she draws all sorts of folks towards her to enjoy her warm-hearted company. That's something to aspire to in old age: to be the kind of person who still lights up a room and a conversation, rather than - like a character in another book I've just read - having "diminished in physical beauty without adding to their spiritual stature". From what I've heard of it, I think that theme might be coming up again in Esther's next suggestion, Tuesdays with Morrie?
