I’ve decided to break my personal rule and return to blogging book reviews. I miss finding out about fiction that I wouldn’t hear about in traditional ways. So, today, I’m excited to tell you about a book I finished recently that really moved me. It’s called The Means of Keeping.
It begins with grief. Tereza Allard starts out preparing for the end of her life, and well David Luca, is on his own, struggling through his own loss in his own way. Both have suffered a tremendous tragedy because their families died in a terrible climate-crisis-induced catastrophe.
In the book, they quickly find each other again before anything worse could happen, intertwining themselves into each other as they cope with loss. Tereza shows up at David’s door and she begins to share her days with him. They had grown up together, and love is at the core of their relationship. While not lovers anymore, they do love each other and want to stay with each other.
However, it’s not long until they want more from their life. Tereza and David returned to the college she had attended during a break from David many years ago. They both find a purpose in their life by fighting the climate crisis in their way through learning, joining the community on campus, and more.
So much more happens in the book, but it’s so much more than a series of events. What the author does so well is the emotional roller coaster of grief. We’re coming up on the scenes in the book with the tragedy already having hit Tereza and David’s lives. David struggles to see and speak to his wife and daughter. Meanwhile, Tereza is facing mistakes from the past that are getting in the way of her own grief. Plus, their friendship is one of true love, and the bonds they build along the way, doesn’t ever come between them. And I love that.
All of this is happening alongside the realistic climate crisis happening in the world. It’s much worse than it is now for our planet, but not so much worse that it isn’t possible. I think that’s one of the things the author does so well.
Probably the only thing that tripped me up at times was so much heavy detail on the climate problems and potential solutions that Tereza and David explore. It’s a bit too much information at times, but that didn’t distract from my enjoyment of this book.
This is absolutely one you want to read!
Be sure to add this to your GoodReads reading list. Or better yet, buy a copy on Amazon.com!
I’m also excited to do a giveaway of this book! Enter via Rafflecopter below. US only please. Giveaway ends on 11/22/2024.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
