I have been writing seriously for several months, which means I have been seriously reading. I’ve relied on a furnace of words for warmth and light, and an ocean of wisdom to slake my thirst. Most recently, I have consumed these books, and they have consumed me. I wholeheartedly recommend them for telling the one true story of our lives.
A Tale for the Time Being – By Ruth Ozeki. When a woman finds a girl’s journal washed up on her island shore, it becomes a portal through time. A mysterious and compelling story, as well as a fearless presentation of Zen’s deepest teachings. Brilliant.
The Age of Miracles – By Karen Walker Thompson. When the Earth’s rotation inexplicably slows, the result reads like neither science nor fiction, but the revelation of our hidden nature in unblinking daylight. Observant and insightful.
Wave – By Sonali Deraniyagala. Her life, family, future and every shred of sanity is washed away by the South Asian tsunami on the day after Christmas. The sole survivor can only say this much. Each word of this memoir is a pearl. Unbearably perfect.
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I’ll agree that The Age of Miracles is fantastic. I’m off to see if the library has the other two. It’s summer–and I have time to read. Ahhhh!
Also, I loved the podcast below–especially the part about hair and working so hard to look like we used to look, and how kind others treated you when you got your head shaved. We are a kind people. 🙂
Comment by Tara — May 27, 2013 @ 4:36 am
“Unbearably perfect” is a great way of summing up Wave. It wasn’t an enjoyable book to read, but at the same time it was a book I felt I had to read. I found it to be unflinchingly honest, which is the highest praise I can give a memoir.
Comment by Lorianne — May 28, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
I just finished *A Tale For the Time Being.* It was fantastic–thanks so much for pointing us to this one. Wow.
Comment by Tara — June 23, 2013 @ 5:17 am