The latest book I've read was a novel called All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. I believe it won the Pulitzer. I thought it was a great read. Of course, the style was excellent, with great imagery, symbolism, and plot. They don't award the Pulitzer to mediocre works. The setting goes back and forth between France and Germany during World War Two, telling two seemingly unrelated stories. One chronicles the life of a brilliant orphan boy who ends up in the German army. The other is about a blind girl whose locksmith father is given a treasure that must be hidden from the Germans. Eventually, the lives of these two young people intersect.
The story was exciting and filled with details that tugged at the heart yet weren't overly sentimental or sappy. My one complaint was that there were a few times the author dropped the F bomb and a couple other choice words. Thankfully, the book wasn't filled with these, but I did find the book on a Goodreads list of clean fiction. Maybe I'm a prude, but to me, any use of the F word disqualifies a work being considered clean. Still, I do think it was worth reading. Just be forewarned. If there had been frequent swearing, I wouldn't have finished it since I don't enjoy having to wade through multiple pages of foul language. Just not my idea of a good time.
Besides reading, I have been able to find other joy breaks, despite being at the teen pain rehab clinic at Mayo with my daughter. It's an all day program with additional activities every evening except Wednesdays. They also have activities on Saturdays and Sundays. And parental involvement is required. Today, though, I was able to start on a craft. I'm making a decorative H for my daughter Haley, who's at home, that she can hang on her bedroom wall. Hopefully, she will like it.
Would love to know what books you are reading and enjoying and what crafts or projects you are working on. Reading and crafts are both things that bring joy into my life as I journey through this second half.
