This beautiful line is not my own – unfortunately – but appears in a book called “The Road Home”, by Rose Tremain. I won’t often bore you with the details of great books I’ve read recently, but this one really deserves a special mention. It’s the story of an Eastern European immigrant who arrives in London, hoping to find work, make some money and improve the quality of life of his loved ones, back home. And of course, it’s not as easy as he expects. This is one of those novels where everything – characters, mood, setting – just seem to come alive, and despite all the other pressing things you have to attend to, you just can’t help turning page after page…You quickly feel that Lev is someone you know, you want to reach out and offer him a word of encouragement, you feel pained that his private plight goes largely unnoticed.
And the ending is unexpected, thought-provoking…
Anyway, I love the idea that optimism might catch you unawares. Like pure contentedness. Rare moments to be noted and treasured.
Afterthought: Today, America gets a new president, and, rightly or wrongly, we can’t help feeling he might just be a good guy, someone we can believe in. So, regardless of how things may turn out later, I for one woke up this morning feeling optimistic. And why not?
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