Bettered by the Book
Do you ever wonder if those in power would do better if they knew better? In my more hopeful moments, I think: “maybe they just haven’t read the right books, or extended enough empathy. Maybe if—”
And let’s admit, too, that we sometimes read to avoid becoming like those who stand in stubborn opposition to our most cherished values. Growing into those values, and learning how to protect and honor them, is a neverending process. Belief is easy; nuance takes time and practice. It’s why we rush to consume titles like The Darién Gap, which expand our understanding of the particular dangers that Central and South American immigrants face when coming to the US, even in times when they aren’t being autovillified. Or why we’re eager for books like How to Save the Amazon, by a journalist who died while reporting on the vicious destruction of delicate ecosystems by those in power. We arm ourselves with such information for the fight ahead.
And between these lessons, there are other kinds of literary self-protection and heart-expansion to engage in. I found myself awed by the natural connections that I found between the books I claimed for review in this issue—all by women, though that was not by conscious design. They’re stories of combatting erasure and pain with simple acts of reaching out. The heroine of Little World does it across the earthly divide; though she died following sexual violence, she refuses to be silenced, and her voice gives another woman an opportunity for a new life. The heroines of The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey also repair a rift across time, redeeming the trapped elder’s name and soothing father-daughter resentments; truth is their way forward. And in Sunbirth, it’s love between sisters that proves most powerful at the potential end of the world. In reaching out to another—despite fear, shame, hurt, and extreme cultural conditions—these and other characters take their first steps forward toward places more honest and possibility-filled.
Yes: in times of struggle, we must keep reading. We must keep deciding what kinds of people we want to be, what kind of world we want to live in, and how to nurture those ideals toward fruition.
Sincerely,
Michelle Anne Schingler
Editor in Chief
mschingler@forewordreviews.com
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Michelle Anne Schingler
