Book: God of Small Things
Author: Arundhati Roy
Published: 1997

Everyone has a story. Some stories dig into tender places. They curl around vital organs, touching where the pain ancient, dull lies deepest.

A woman revisits her childhood home in India and reconnects with her twin brother. Their story sneaks in, quiet on the back of lush prose and resonant consiousness. Family catastrophes that spring from the best intentions carry a sorrow all their own. The loss that carves space into the main characters  is revealed early, leaving the rest of the book to elaborate on good intentions. I devoured it eagerly.

Soaking in the book’s warm dispair was a salve on my own fresh wounds. Good intentions abound in my story. Chairs upright and tray tables stowed have got nothing for the hard landing, but the ritual’s purpose is to comfort not protect. That’s a story for another day.