At the beginning of July in an all staff meeting, it was
announced that we will be giving Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees) an
award. She recently wrote The Invention of Wings which is now an Oprah Book Club book. In a fit of missing my book club from So Cal very much, and having
fond remembrances of when we read The Secret Life of Bees, I splurged and
bought the book.
I was instantly enthralled. As mentioned, the weather here
has been amazing. After purchasing the book, I gave into temptation. I gave up
doing anything productive on a Saturday and read all day. I started in the
morning and read in bed for several hours. Then a bike ride. Followed by more
reading on my birthday garden-furniture. The weather was so lovely and
comfortable, I lounged the rest of the day, surrounded by mosquito candles and
incense on my “deck”.
Upon finishing the book – I thought… wow … I really miss
this! I miss reading a good story. This
one obliged. Feeling withdrawals from the good reading experience, I stood
staring at the shelves of books I own. One spoke to me that I hadn’t read yet –
Willa Cather – Sapphira and the Slave Girl.
What an interesting comparison.
Published in 1940, it was her last book. The similarities are as striking as are the
differences. For example the vocabulary Cather feels comfortable using to write
the novel, is not used by Kidd. At. All. I would really like to know if Sue
Monk Kidd read this book – ever. It is very interesting. But I think if I go on
in this vain of questions I might have to write a PhD... and ... I’m not interested at
this time…
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