The jacket copy is what
inspired me to read this book…that and it was the August selection of my 2018
reading resolution to read twelve books that have been lounging on my bookshelf
for years.
The first sentence of
the jacket copy is “The characters in the monologues that make up “A Leap” are
all looking for a home; for some kind of anchorage or self-realization, but
circumstances or fate ensure that their goal remains elusive.”
That sentence really
spoke to me soul. Looking for a home…isn’t
that what we all want? A home. A place
to call ours. A place to feel safe and secure.
There are five
monologues in this short book. The first is from Alma Mahler, wife of composer
Gustav and takes place in 1906. She is on the verge of a mid-life crisis. She
should stay with the man for whom she gave up her ambitions, or have an affair
with a old lover who has come back into her life.
The second monologue, is
from a Jewish dressmaker, Mendel Bronstien, who leaves Rotterdam for America in
1912, but the trip is unexpectedly hard.
In 1940, Cato and
Leendert, who also live in Rotterdam, are young lover trying to avoid the
falling bombs as Europe rushes into WWII.
“The Doctor” also takes
place in 1940s Rotterdam, and begins with a chilling sentence: “I should have
killed him.” As a doctor, he must choose between his Hippocratic oath and the
loathing he feels for the invading armies.
Finally, there is “…And
I am Sara.” It’s the tale of a woman spending a night in her parents’ home
while they are away, and how safe and comforted she feels.
I had a little bit of a
tough time getting into this collection, mainly because I read Alma’s thought
without speaking them aloud. I felt a
tad silly reading aloud to myself, but I believe that is how these words should
be read.
When I finished each
section, the story did not feel complete, I wanted more, which is why “A Leap” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
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