15 Comments
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Susan Campbell's avatar

Each chapter is a celebration of language even though the words are woven into a complex emotional landscape. A joy to read, and a lot to ponder afterward. Love it ❤️

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

"Celebration of language": Lovely and my thanks, dear one.

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Jeffrey Streeter's avatar

“Lena, everything these days worries me." I'm not sure why, but this line caught my attention in this beautiful chapter. A huge current of anxiety is flowing through them, it seems. Thank you for your gorgeous prose, Mary.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Lovely and generous. As ever, grateful to have you, wise and so deeply schooled in the arts as a reader, Jeffrey.

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

I don’t know if it’s possible to have a favorite chapter in this extraordinary book but this one might be the one if forced to choose. My heart skipped a beat when Lena realized not once, but twice, someone she loved would live only in her imagination. The tragedy feels both cruel but also incriminating because they are each from her own doing. I feel badly for Lena but also want to shake her by the shoulders and say, “Come back, come back to the life you have right in front of you!”

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Alisa Kennedy Jones's avatar

I had this reaction as well. So astute.

Also, the two chapters side-by-side offer such wildly different portraits of marriage--it's haunting.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

At least, Robert, as narrator, is trying to give us both sides of a difficult story, don't you think?

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Kimberly Warner's avatar

Yes, I feel his desperate attempts to try to see this situation from all sides and even look at his own role in at all. That’s an exercise not for the faint of heart.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Me too! But more chapters to come that I hope build sympathy for her as well as Robert.

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Adrian P Conway's avatar

Lacuna - brilliant, Mary.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, you are lovely! Thank you, Adrian.

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Del's avatar

Another lyrical example of you somehow weaving together complex emotions in complex relationships over time. Keep it coming!

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Lot more coming, indeed. Thank you so for the "lyrical" complement and the complexity of character insights.

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Tim Burns's avatar

Thursdays are the best days because you release such beautiful writing to us.

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<Mary L. Tabor>'s avatar

Oh, Tim: Talk about making my day! You did that!

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