Thursday, July 30, 2009

Eichah Yashvah Badad?

A year ago I was blown away by The World to Come. I tried to read Dara Horn's first book but got thrown off course by the beginning. I think I was so taken by her other book than I needed 12 months to allow for that one to be digested. I didn't really give the book any thought, forgot about any hopes of reading it.

On Tuesday night I went out of my way and rushed to Barnes and Noble to purchase a book before closing time. I read a review of six months ago and was intrigued I decided to go for it. I showed the customer service person the review (to make sure there' be no misunderstanding) and was told that the book does not come out till September. Still out of breath from rushing over I asked before I realized I was speaking, "Why would they review it if it's not out for months?" I was complaining, not really asking. Without missing a beat, without involving any pauses, the girl said "To garner interest, to create excitement The Times does it too would you like to reserve it?" "No need," I said, using the expression for what I'm pretty sure is the first time in my life. The book is called Sing Them Home, and as you can see for yourself, it came out in January.

Once in the store I wanted a book. I saw that Horn has a hardcover book on the New Fiction table. I thought about getting it, but haven't heard word, and I then got the idea in my head to go and see if they had her first book in paperback. (Speaking of paperbacks the girl at the counter probably mistook the paperback release for the original release. Mistakes are fine, for real. Mistakes an be great. But arrogance and attitude annoys me. Why not move slower so you can get there quicker?) They had it. I bought it.

I started plodding through In The Image (not a reflection on the book, I plod so I can get there fast). I confess that over Tisha B'Av I read a little bit of the book before sleep. Last night I was shocked to read on page 21: "He blinked a picture of an archaeological site below where the ancient Temple once stood in Jerusalem, but in the slide you couldn't see the mosque on the mountain or even the tourists visiting the site, just the rubble of fallen stones as Bill Landsmann read another line: 'How the city sits alone, desolate, she that was once free of people, how like a widow!"

Tonight, when I was trying to fall asleep I forged on and walked across my apartment to type out the closing words of the first chapter. I don't think that this theme comes up elsewhere in the book. What are the odds that I would have ended up getting this book and reading these pages on and around Tisha B'Av?

"And sometimes, but only sometimes, when the curtains are actually open, Leora sees a woman sitting by herself in a house that was once full of people. How she sits alone, desolate, like a widow, waiting for someone to come home."

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