“My dad says that being a Londoner has nothing to do with where you’re born. He says that there are people who get off a jumbo jet at Heathrow, go through immigration waving any kind of passport, hop on the tube and by the time the train’s pulled into Piccadilly Circus they’ve become a Londoner.” —Ben Aaronovitch, Moon Over Soho
I don’t care what anyone says…Rachel and I are Londoners. Last week, we got off a jumbo jet at Heathrow, ran through immigration waving our passports hysterically, hopped on the tube and pulled into the city we love. It felt so good to be back before the years stacked up. We’re pretty sure London was giddy to have us—the weather was all sunshine and blossoms. Repeat after me: Oh happy day! Come nighttime, I kept thinking I would write a post, but there was playoff-ready Steph, idle chatter, belly laughs, Coke Zeros and limes. It amounted to healing via good cheer, my very favorite medicine.
Forgive me for just now telling you about Where the Forrest Meets the Stars. Judging by how quickly I returned to my audible app, I really liked this listen. Glendy Vanderah’s starry debut novel had elements of enchantment, intrigue, and even a bit of mystery. (That’s a winning recipe for a good read, no?) A mysterious child shows up barefoot at a remote cabin occupied by an ornithologist named Joanna Teale. The young girl, roughly age 9, swears she hails from a distant planet. She can’t leave Southern Illinois to head back to her home in the stars until she witnesses five miracles. Did I mention the child goes by the name Ursa Major? Ursa may well be responsible for the biggest miracles taking place in this bewitching book.
Where the Forest Meets the Stars has been compared to The Snow Child. They share similar themes of hope, grief, loss, trust, and family. I’m anxious to see what Rae thinks about Ursa, Joanna, and Gabe. I’m grateful for “Vanderah ’s beautifully human story [with the reminder] that sometimes we need to look beyond the treetops at the stars to let some light into our lives.”