Reading, for me, is entertainment and an escape from the real world. But it can also inform and stretch the boundaries of the life I live.
I first heard about this book while listening to the now-defunct Books on the Nightstand podcast. It was Ann Kingman's recommendation, and I've found her recs to be hit/miss for me, but she was so enthusiastic about it that I put it on my TBR, then promptly put off reading it for almost a decade. I wish now that I hadn't, because this was a wonderfully immersive read. It's full of despair and sadness, though, unrelieved by
(show spoiler) so I wouldn't recommend this for anyone looking for a fluffy read.
Still, it's been a while since I read anything that pulled me in and jerked my emotions so well, and it seems to have broken me out of a reading slump. I'll be looking out for other works by this author.
Audiobook, borrowed from my public library. It's read by the author, who is clearly not a professional voice actor, but she does a fine job and provides authenticity to the narration.