Transition Periods and What I Read in November
I’m going through one of those periods in life where it feels like everything is changing. Chapters closing and new ones beginning, it’s been a mix of highs, real lows and feeling a little bit in limbo waiting for things to fall into place but I know they are and it will all be worth it. Something that I’ve always found grounding in periods of transition is having a routine. Time that I set aside in my day to switch off, curl up with a book and just get lost in someone else’s world is so important and often exactly what I need. This month’s read was one of the best I’ve read this year so I’m glad I’ve kept this routine.
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
Set in Spring 1992, at the start of the Siege of Sarajevo, as violence breaks out artist Zora sends her mother and husband to stay with family in England, believing she will continue her work until they can return. I picked this book up after seeing it was on the Women’s Prize for Fiction shortlist and I’m so glad I did because it is one of the most beautifully written and moving stories I’ve read in a long time.
The city is cut off from the outside world, with dwindling access to food, water and eventually communications are cut too. Zora and those around her lose everything and life in Sarajevo, as they knew and loved it, changes beyond recognition yet, somehow, they persist. The novel is based on real stories from the Morris’ own family and the details of life in a war-torn city are so vivid and devastating; zigzagging between streets to avoid snipers in the hills, neighbours banding together to cook on open flames, the ashes of burnt books filling the skies like black butterflies.
It’s hard not to be swept up in the fast-paced narrative and it’s also impossible not to draw parallels with current conflicts which did make this book sit heavy in my heart. The moments of resilience, Zora’s continuation of her craft in spite of losing everything, give the story a real sense of humanity and hope.
Misc
Falling back in love with running, despite the cold and the wet weather I’ve really enjoyed getting out to clear my head this month and it’s time I look forward to. I’m writing a lot more about this over on my blog.
I saw A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in the cinema and really enjoyed it. I hadn’t read the book but loved the Hunger Games series when it released so this was a nice nostalgia trip and the film is definitely recommended for fans of the series!