By the Book-A Meant to Be Novel

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They are artists and create works, carved out of wood, that are ephemeral and that others will not necessarily see. It is summer and Sophia and her grandmother share adventures, break the rules, and befriend one another; one on a path of discovery and the other contemplating and sharing all the things she has gleaned over a lifetime. Jansson expertly harnesses the aura of summer, and its nights that are, as Bruno Schulz once wrote, ‘ as vast as the megalomanic aspirations of young lovers. The grandmother is in her eighties and Sophia only six but despite their vast age gap they’re an inseparable pair: swapping stories, playing games and sometimes engaging in heated disputes.

Sarah Adams said, and I quote, “If you liked THE CHEAT SHEET (me), then I wrote this for you (me, again). She’s also adept at conveying the pace and rhythm of island life with its well-honed routines and seasonal rituals - not surprising since it’s based on Klovharu a place she visited for over 30 years and where she built a summer cabin.I was ready to move in with the family and spend the second half of my life on their blustery, small island filled with quirky, faraway neighbors and weird wood carvings of animals. I kept thinking of another work of this type, The Country of the Pointed Firs and Other Stories, in which the natural environment is almost a character itself. They realized that from now on life would be quite different, but they didn't know how, that is, in what way. Gradually, the two learn to adjust to each other's fears, whims and yearnings for independence, and a fierce yet understated love emerges - one that encompasses not only the summer inhabitants but the island itself, with its mossy rocks, windswept firs and unpredictable seas. I've officially found my comfort read, I'll definitely be doing a reread of this book at some point and I can't wait for everyone to read this!

Nora Mackenzie, up and coming athlete agent, gets assigned to her college ex-boyfriend and current star Tight End, Derek Pender. I was a fool for thinking I could ever orbit around Nora without falling into her gravitational pull. Our recent post 15 backlist books that feel like summer reminded me this book was lingering on my TBR. There on a small island - Esther Freud if you were wondering if she is related to Sigmund, the answer is yes in her introduction to the edition I read, says that it took her only minutes to walk round - live Sophia, and her Grandmother and sometimes Sophia's Father.Sophia and her grandmother are not alone on the island, they’re accompanied by Sophia’s father who’s an intriguing figure. It is the essential handbook for the scout in all of us by Bear Grylls OBE, Chief Ambassador of World Scouting. This and the NYRB edition also include an introduction from Esther Freud (with whose Hideous Kinky I now see many connections), in which she meets the real-life Sophia, who is now of course a grown woman.