![]() ![]() The 20th century was great for producing this sort of epic hero- the tiny and anonymous man who contains multitudes within him, and who can only exist and fight his meager battles within the smaller scale frameworks that were increasingly hard to come by in that century. Yet, reading the words 90 years later- and there’s no doubt more of his writing will be available when we’ve reached the centennial- I feel connected to the little man in Lisbon who refuses to be hemmed in by his small size. He was an isolated man, by choice and character much of the book is about this isolation. * Soares was a meager assistant bookkeeper in Lisbon who wrote these words in 1930, and for him, the night was the time of freedom and art. ![]() I look up at the great sky and the many stars and the beating of the wings of a splendid freedom shakes my whole body.”Īnd we believe it. “I go to my window that looks onto the narrow street. In his posthumous Book of Disquiet, Bernardo Soares meditates on some lines by the Portuguese poet Alberto Caeiro:Īfter he reads these lines, Soares tells us: ![]()
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![]() ![]() ![]() From the Chinese lotus flower to the Celtic bluebell, the myth, magic and language of flowers is still blossoming today. Red roses say 'I love you', white lilies offer condolence and poppies invite us to remember.Ĭovering 50 well-loved flowers and plants, from peonies to sweetpeas, ivy to irises,Floriography is a beautifully illustrated guide that will take the reader on an intriguing journey through the history, legend, anthropology and literature of flowers, showing how modern-day society still relies on the meaning of flowers. She delves into the meanings of flowers and where they came from, whether it's ancient mythology or hedgerow folklore. In her new book, Sally Coulthard, takes a fascinating look at floriography and shows how we still use this secret language across the world. Red roses say 'I love you', white lilies offer condolence and poppies invite us to remember.įor thousands of years, humans have used flowers as a language, a short-hand for emotions and meanings. ![]() ![]() I think it was the elements of magical realism that were just a bit too much for me (similar to my complaints with The Mortifications). I liked the characters and I thought Leonie was especially well described. I’m not sure if it was the audio or the text. There was something in it that just didn’t click with me. I wanted to like this book more than I did. When the white father of Leonie’s children is released from prison, she packs her kids and a friend into her car and sets out across the state for Parchman farm, the Mississippi State Penitentiary, on a journey rife with danger and promise. ![]() Leonie is simultaneously tormented and comforted by visions of her dead brother, which only come to her when she’s high Mam is dying of cancer and quiet, steady Pop tries to run the household and teach Jojo how to be a man. ![]() Jojo and his toddler sister, Kayla, live with their grandparents, Mam and Pop, and the occasional presence of their drug-addicted mother, Leonie, on a farm on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. ![]() |