A Story of You. A Story of Me.

This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart

There is a quality to Beth Kephart's witing that completely envelopes me. I feel the embrace of each sensory image pulling me not only into the story, but recalling my own experiences with the sea, with storms, with friendship, with family, and with facing the unknown. The richness of the prose and the careful unfolding of the narrative bring me back again and again. To the story. To the exquisite language. To reflecting on my own life.

One of my favorite quotes about the significance of literature rings true to me and especially for Kephart's books.
"A great book illuminates your life and your life illuminates a great book."
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Here are a few of my life illuminations from This is the Story of You.

The color blue is a recurring image.

• "I thought blue was mine, and that we were each ourselves, and that some things could not be stolen."
• ​"The atmosphere zinged with blue."
• "Skies so sweet and so Berry Blast Blue..."
• "One blue Slurpee. Two blue Slurpees. Three blue Slurpees."
• "We walked until our feet felt like a color- blue."
• "Open your eyes...They were bluer than the sea in the shining of the sun, bluer than a bucket. They were blue..."

Ebb and Flow: The ocean, the island, and Mira's life will always be in a state of change.

• "The sea comes and the sea goes."
• "Eva, who saw things nobody could see, who chose Vanishing Cities as her Project Flow...Everything was submerged or on the verge of going under."
• "The only thing certain is the past, and even that past is up for grabs - both the textbook variety and the personal kind..."​

Life is a collection of lost, saved, and found.

• "She'd lost the big things in life. A brother first (Afghanistan) and then a father (hole in the heart)."
• "Every creature, every thing, like Dad always said, is a candidate for saving."
• "I remembered the things I'd saved: Sand with the socks. Soldiers with the sweaters. Bangles with the underwear. Mickey's quilt folded. Safe. Dry."
• "A storm is the universe speaking. A storm is science. A storm takes everything away."

Haven: Place of refuge. MIra finds sanctuary in her home, her memories, her family and the things she holds dear.

• ​"We were us. We were before."
• "'You're the luck part of my life.' he said. 'You and Mickey and Haven.'"
• "Only thing not replaceable is people. Order. Family. Genus. Species. We were the kingdom unto Haven."
• ​"We make our own order."​

The Great Blue Heron
"The Bird will make sure that all things are put in their proper places on earth."