What is your favorite first line of a book? First, here are some famous ones…
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that every lucky single man must need a wife.” — pride and prejudice Written by Jane Austen (I can’t wait) new series)
“The first decade of the 20th century was not a good time to be born as a black woman in Stamps, Arkansas.” — mama & me & mama Written by Maya Angelou
“Every summer, Lin Kong returned to Gusu Village to divorce his wife Shuyu.” — waiting Written by Hajin
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you probably want to know is where I was born, what my miserable childhood was like, how busy my parents were before they had me, and all that David Copperfield crap. But if you want to know the truth, I’m not going to get into that.” catcher in the lie Written by JD Salinger
“All children grow up except one.” — peter pan Written by JM Barrie
Well, I was reading the other day, lion Written by Sonya Walger. The novel, which she describes as “a work of fiction that all happened in real life,” depicts her complicated relationship with her charismatic father, a skydiver, cocaine addict, ex-convict, polo player, pilot, and race car driver. “When you’re a kid, it’s hard to compete with adrenaline,” she says.
The whole novel was a wonderful page-turning poem, but what struck me most was Walger’s first sentence when she acknowledged her mother.
But how difficult it is to be the one who stays! The person who packed raisins without nuts, the person who wiped the lipstick off the piano teacher’s mug, the person who wrapped the Christmas decorations in tissue, the person who washed the sheets, the person who stopped the bleeding, the person who lied and ignored the closed door, the person who posted the sticker on the wall. The person who took off her hair, the person who fought for sunscreen and table manners, the person who made the bed, the person who combed the lice, the person who stapled the hem and sewed it later, the person who kissed a friend, the person who made up with a lover, the person who returned a book, the person who lent it to me. Cars, houses, wearing Liberty-lined denim jackets, combing lice, listening to story tapes stuck in the car stereo, holding back crooked hair in the bathroom, paying school fees, paying tennis coaches, paying airline tickets, combing lice, pushing swings, matching socks, allowing cigarettes, refusing We forbade kindness, packed trunks, renewed passports, taught second tongues, recited the alphabet, bought ice cream, bought bras, walkmans, wedding dresses, remembered and remembered names, shared crosswords, towels, gum.
How incredible is that? “But how difficult it is to be the one who stays!” I think many mothers can relate in one way or another.
What are your thoughts? What is your favorite book recently? If you’re looking for lectures, this is my ongoing list.
PS Three great books, a charming summer read, and a dark and funny novel you can’t stop thinking about.
Source: Cup of Jo – cupofjo.com
