Gnawing Bones

I wonder, has anyone else experienced that sick feeling that comes after mailing a letter and wishing you hadn't? Did you ever blurt out something in public just to immediately desire the words back?

That happens to me...frequently. (Maybe it has something to do with my impulsiveness, I don't know) Anyway, it happened again just yesterday! After writing what I thought was a rave review of my Auntie's book, I came back to the computer this morning and groaned!

Don't get me wrong. Everything I articulated was correct. But it was the glaring omissions that grabbed my attention. The review was absolutely childish! So, I loved her book; but why? What is it about Across Time, Across Tears that makes it an instant favorite with so many readers? After all, the size is pretty daunting.

Disgusted with myself, I pushed away from the computer and picked up the book...again! Honestly, I only intended to read a few "favorite parts" but there are just so many of them, it's impossible to pick. And, despite the fact that I was supposed to be preparing my house for a baby shower tomorrow, unheedless of five munchkins squealing in the playroom, regardless of the fact that the laundry was piled high- I just couldn't put it down!

Now I've reached an opinion: it isn't just the story-line that's excellent. It's not simply the intricate details that weave together so seamlessly throughout the book. Nor does the excitement come solely from great action-sequences. No, the reason this book is such a favorite, is the language.

Across Time, Across Tears is nothing less than a work of art! A painting, if you will. And when you read it, the characters and settings are so vivid that it isn't difficult to imagine yourself there. Thanks to the author's skill with words, even the most unimaginative of us have no trouble visualizing the sights of the marketplace, smelling the stench of an old man's breath, or hearing the air hiss as a silenced AK-47 assault rifle demolishes a tree branch. She even lets us feel the warmth of a recently-laminated Driver's License! The dialogue itself is passing extraordinary, and the ending, that last paragraph,- is simply breathtaking!

If you haven't read this book yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. Not just because it's my very favorite novel, but because you have no idea what you're missing! I'll close with a teaser, from one of many favorite parts:

"She jumped when Bani placed a hand on each side of her head, though he did not try to raise her face upward. He leaned close to the veil. "I understand more than you think," he said. "Do you suppose God is mindless? He would not so use us both. He has done a perfect work. Praise Him, if you can, woman, and stop gnawing the bones of your own worry and misunderstanding..."

Across Time, Across Tears