The story centres two characters from different generations and backgrounds, both grappling with their own personal challenges. One character is grievThe story centres two characters from different generations and backgrounds, both grappling with their own personal challenges. One character is grieving the loss of his spouse, feeling aimless and empty without his lifelong companion, while the other is dealing with her mother's mental illness and the weight of parentification on her shoulders. They strike up an unlikely friendship at a library, bonding over a shared list of books that not only connects them to each other but to several other characters in the story.
At first, I thought the premise seemed a bit cheesy—typical book club material, you know? But I was pleasantly surprised! The depth and authenticity of the characters really won me over. Their complexity and the genuine relationships they formed, especially through their shared reading experiences, resonated with me deeply. Despite my initial skepticism, I found myself emotionally invested in the story, shedding tears multiple times.
What I loved most were the characters and the central narrative about how reading and discussing books can bring people together, how literature can be a guiding light through difficult times, especially through grief (which was, sadly, my own experience a few months after reading this as I processed my own loss of a loved one through books). It was touching and heartfelt, and it reminded me of the power of literature to connect us not only to friends and family but to strangers we may never meet who have, despite wildly different circumstances, felt precisely the same range of human experiences and emotions that we have. We are not so different, and books can bridge the gap if we let them.
A beautiful book with a beautiful message that I would highly recommend!
Representation: Black & South Asian MCs
Trigger/Content Warnings: grief, self-harm, suicide, death, partner loss, loss of a sibling, mental illness, parentification, racism
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This was our PBB Book Club pick for January! You can join our book club over on Patreon...
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