This is a hauntingly beautiful novel by an author I just stumbled across when I found her collection of essays, What Makes This Book So Great, on the new books shelf at my local library.
Ursula K. LeGuin invented the term "speculative fiction," and this is exactly the kind of story she meant by it. Walton begins with an old woman in a nursing home. Patricia is suffering from dementia; the notes on her chart often say she is "very confused." But she does remember people and places and events from the past --- only it seems as though she is remembering two different sets of people and places and events. At some point in time she made a choice --- either/or --- and her life and the world around her diverged down separate paths, but she remembers both: living, breathing, real.
Even if you don't read science fiction or fantasy, read this book. It will break your heart and fill you with wonder and pride in the sheer resilience of the human spirit.
Click HERE for a brief biographical entry on Jo Walton.
Click HERE to acess Jo Walton's web site.
Click HERE to access Jo Walton's blog on the Tor Book's web site.
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