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’Remember me.�

Words fail me, or at least words that would be worthy enough of this look into another time, a time that has an almost uncanny resemblance, in some ways, to the current plague that has fallen upon us. But it is also so much more than that, as it exposes the grief that accompanies the loss of the life of a child, and how quickly, and invisibly this plague travels from one place, one creature to another again and again over a short period of time, to land on an innocent person, and take so many lives in the process. It is a story of love, and hope, and perhaps the loss of both, at least for a time, as well.

Perhaps, even the ultimate gift of love.

’Could he pull off their trick, their joke, just once more? He thinks he can. He thinks he will. He glances over his shoulder at the tunnel of dark beside the door. The blackness is depthless, soft, absolute. Turn away, he says to Death. Close your eyes. Just for a moment.�

But, again, because it is about life and shared by O’Farrell, it is not discounting the sweet altogether, this story had me feeling everything. Has me feeling it all still. If nothing else, O’Farrell’s words cover both of those territories as well as the seemingly normal daily ins and outs of life.

’She walks back, more slowly, the way she came. How odd it feels, to move along the same streets, the route in reverse, like inking over old words, her feet the quill, going back over work, rewriting, erasing.�

And then there is the guilt the ones left behind feel, they ‘why.� Why them? Why not me? It is heartrendingly felt.

The one section of this that stood out for me as I was reading this is one that I’m sure was felt by everyone else that has read this, as it shares the story of how this plague first begins, a boy, a monkey, three fleas that fall from the monkey, and thus begins the route that will end the lives of many.

I remain in awe of O’Farrell’s ability to bring so much beauty to such a heartrending story.


Many thanks, once again, to the Public Library system, and the many Librarians that manage, organize and keep it running, for the loan of this book!