"My heart does not so much feel that it is in my chest as in my hands, and that I am carrying it along swiftly, as though I have become the messenger for what is going on inside of me."
Claire Keegan is an astonishing author. Her concise prose is emotionally honest. Her storytelling is nearly flawless. And her characters - like the un-named young narrator in Foster - will remain with you. When I read the sentence above near the end of this timeless novella, my heart broke. I will never forget this book.
Though Foster is only my second exposure to Keegan, two books alone have persuaded me that people will be reading her work one hundred years from now. She is that good. Not a reader, you say? Watch the movie adaptation of Foster - entitled A Quiet Girl - and try to stay composed as the film concludes using a scene lifted directly from the book. You might decide right then to make an exception.
Experiencing Claire Keegan's gift reminds me what great literature has brought to my life. Consider this unqualified recommendation my Thanksgiving gift to you.
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I agree. And the book is better than the movie. Reminds me of Mary Oliver’s lines…”I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean it breaks open again and never closes to the world.”
ReplyDeleteAnonymous; Thanks for the comment and especially for the powerful Mary Oliver quote. I'm sure I'll find a way to use that in a future blog post; great stuff.
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