Read by Theme discussion

This was my third blue book and by far my favorite!
I loved this book and didn't want it to end--which is a little ironic if you know the full story (but I won't be a spoiler). There are parallel stories--one takes place in the che City where the dead go after they die and where they remain as long as there is someone who remembers them. The other takes place in Antarctica where Laura Byrd is stranded alone while on a scientific (so-called) mission. The stories develop simultaneously until the end of the book.

It is about memory and memories, about connections and connections within connections. It is a very comforting story in many ways. I read a review that made allusions to an "On the Beach" similarity and I would say that similarity is very slim--simply because of the emotions and care that is in this book. (It has been a very long time since I read On the Beach, however.) He does a great job of developing his characters--even those who are not primary to the story. Although, really, they are all primary to the story in one sense. He also does an excellent job of putting in little threads of connections throughout the stories.
I think threads as connections is an important idea in the book although it really isn't mentioned per se until almost the end. But there is a sequency that mentions red threads that reminds me very strongly of red threads in the book Praisesong for the Widow by Paule Marshall. In that book, also, there was focus on the threads of connections.

I got my copy from the library but will definitely be buying it so I can re-read it periodically. This book is going on my Books I Love shelf and I highly recommend it.

I like the idea of this book. Thanks for the review.

Yeah, I also like the idea. It's now on the TBR list, thanks for sharing! =)