#91
Somewhere between Berlin and Amsterdam I finally found the right moment to open my mouth.
The woman sitting behind me across the aisle had a copy of Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, the bookmark showing me that she had only just cracked the spine.
Hearing her on a phone call earlier in the journey, I picked she was Australian.
“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice what you’re reading. Are you enjoying it?”
We got talking, carefully, about the book. She was very much enjoying it, but wanted no spoilers. I have to be careful in writing this post today because Shawn is also reading possibly-the-best-book-I-have-ever-read at the moment.
She was delighted to hear how much the book meant to me, how we had both enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible many years ago, but knew nothing more of the author, Barbara Kingsolver, until Demon Copperhead came into our lives.
Me - via Matilda’s Room and the excellent book recommendations curated by my friend Mel.
Her - on a whim at an airport bookshop, somewhere else in Europe.
I consider Kingsolver to be amongst the best modern writers I have ever discovered. The not-so-fictional landscape in Copperhead is a huge call-out to our human afflictions and the many sinkholes that people fall into and can’t easily escape.
It was more than a little galling to see this article recently shared by another awesome SubStacker Geoff Marlow.
(note to Shawn, don’t click this link til you finish the book)
Sometimes books just occupy a really special place in your heart and soul. Sometimes it really crushes you to receive a signal that authors use the real world as material for their writing. Say it ain’t so. But it is.
Today’s message - definitely start talking to strangers on trains. Especially about great novels. But always avoid snakes in suits.
That is all for today. As always, I look forward to hearing what you heard, saw and felt when reading this.
With love,
Michelle xx
Ps this is also why I love reading actual books. You never know what anyone is reading with a kindle so I assume they are reading smut 🤣🤭
I’m glad this book brought you so much joy! (I got a new (to me) phone and it has taken me this long to get myself signed back into Substack. I did of course read it via my inbox as soon as it arrived!)