Today, in Caithness, the sun is shining and the air is clear. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that, certain weathers and certain times of the year ignite certain music in me. And, on late winter days which are filled with sunshine, I am usually to be found singing the songs of The Spinners . Inevitably, I start humming different ones of their songs (and of course adapting them to be about Orlando and Jess) as I go around doing different things. But I remember almost all the words to them. I haven't heard a lot of them in years, but they are all there, rooted in my memory. It is truly fascinating to think about how these songs have passed through history. They are part of my own nostalgia, which is why crisp sunny mornings make me incapable of ignoring the temptation to sing them, but they are part of something much bigger. There are songs amongst them which are a newer step in the folk music movement. Songs like Silver in the Stubble are amongs...
"A Wounded World" by Crit Kincaid
Book Review
☆☆☆☆☆
“A Wounded World” was one of 5 books I got off Amazon. I’d
just got a subscription for Kindle Unlimited and I knew I would want to read
something while on the train north. I scrolled through my Kindle and clicked on
this book at random – entirely unsure what to expect but I wasn’t holding my
breath…
The first chapter gripped my attention in an uncommon way. I
have not read many books where my interest is piqued so near the beginning but
I found that I really did not want to put my kindle down. The Highland scenery
went by…and I was still engrossed in this book.
As far as I’m concerned, a book that can elicit heightened
emotions from me is a sign of good writing. At one point, I looked up from the ‘page’,
needing to find the composure to carry on. My Mum notices, as she does, and
moves forward to place her hand over mine.
“Don’t read it!” She says.
“No, I have to.” I stubbornly look back down to my kindle. “It’s
so wonderful!”
The uplifting nature of the book, and the perceptions of
life after death are utterly astounding for me.
On top of this, the characters were all well-developed –
something I’m keen on. The teenage angst parts reminded me of why I chose to
teach primary, but the author has portrayed secondary school very cleverly
indeed, the comments on bullying almost breaking my heart. Being in Scotland, I
don’t really understand the American system, but I reckon we have our fair
share of these characters on this side of the water too!
As with all books, I try and find something that could be
better…it’s just my nature I suppose! Aside from a couple of typos that are
easily overlooked, I would do nothing to this book to change it.
What a profound insight into the world and human nature! I
would highly recommend it!
Book Blurb (from Goodreads)
A story about living with the wounds that death can leave behind and healing those wounds with love. A boy hides from a world that hurt him, and a girl must learn how and what love is in order to help him realize there is life after death.
"A strange young man, indeed," said Shu, the old gardener who was really a doctor. "He's like that graveyard cat, who hunts mice amongst graves at night and occasionally ventures out into the bright light of the living world. But even then, he stays in the shadows, avoiding contact, forgetting that his natural place is with the living and not with the dead."
"Sí! La vida no debe rondan a los muertos."
The old man looked to his Hispanic friend and nodded. "My friend, Mr. Rosalis..."
"Ramirez!"
"...agrees, 'The living should not haunt the dead.' I fear bringing that boy to this place was a mistake."
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