This was not a nostalgic read for me– it was the first time I’d read The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, originally published in 1908. This is my husband’s book: a 1980 edition ($1.95, lol!).
What a refreshing getaway! Delightful, funny, lovely change of pace. And gripping, in its own quirky way. A rollercoaster of bumpy friendship dynamics, and figuring out what matters most in life.
A couple beautiful passages from Chapter 6, “Mr. Toad” —
“It was a bright morning in the early part of summer; the river had resumed its wonted banks and its accustomed pace, and a hot sun seemed to be pulling everything green and bushy and spiky up out of the earth towards him, as if by strings.” (Chapter 6, “Mr. Toad”)
“Fastening their boat to a willow, the friends landed in this silent, silver kingdom and patiently explored the hedges, the hollow trees, the tunnels and their little culverts… while the moon, serene and detached in a cloudless sky, did what she could, though so far off, to help them in their quest; till her hour came and she sank earthwards reluctantly, and left them, and mystery once more held field and river.”
This book makes me feel like I’m rolling along with Rat, Mole and Toad. Their internal struggles become very real, and I felt a little pang of melancholy when the story was over. Aah, the treasure of books! A comfort in these uncertain times.
In other news, I’m making progress with yet another round of edits on my novel-in-progress, SISTERS OF AGUAMIEL.
What are your comfort reads?
Happy reading!
Ondine Alegra