Book Review

The main character
has kept me company
for a while now
on quiet afternoons,
has coaxed me back to sleep
on anxious nights.

Against the backdrop
of a particular moment
in history
in a particular place
on the planet,
she proves to be
kind to the suffering,
yet stands up to cruelty.
I like that.

And so,
I am already sympathetic
as I follow
the breadcrumb trail of hints
scattered in each chapter
regarding some
regretful event in her past
with which she has not yet
come to terms.

I catch the mom in me
cheering for the repeated
approach/withdrawal
love interest.
I just want her to be happy.

I will miss her
when I drop off the last page
even though I know by now
that I will likely forget her
or mix her up
with the hundreds
of main characters
that have inhabited my mind
for a week or two.

There are a rare few
who have taken up
permanent residency here,
who come floating forth
now and again,
evoking something
like love.

By Maria Brady-Smith