In April, I will turn 50. In just under a half-century of reading, I have had many favorite books. Light from Uncommon Stars is the best book I have ever read. Like Shizuka and Katrina’s music, the words evoked/unlocked memory after memory for me; I wept. To read this book is to be broken open, chapter after chapter. To be stabbed, to be held, to be dangled, to be soothed.
This review is my applause, and it thunders. My only question is: what kind of deal did Ryka Aoki have to make to create art that does this? And how can I save her from the payment that must be due?
January 28, 2024