The Pondering Well 3.18.25

What I’m Reading

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Where All the Light Tends to Go by David Joy

What I’m Pondering

The two books I’ve read recently seem to have similar themes, despite very different settings. Without giving away too much about the plots, I wanted to reflect on this a bit more.

Perspective. Both books explore the impact of cultural movements within a microcosm. It is easy to sweep with a broad brush across historical events or cultures. But these characters make you stop to consider how it actually felt to be someone living within that. It makes me think about how a narrative like this are much better at conveying historical events than reading a history textbook.

Circumstances. Both books are a coming-of-age story for characters who have experienced very difficult life circumstances. They really speak to the tragedy of a child who has to make sense of loss, violence, grief, and a thousand other things a child should never have to witness. When there are no words, no language, for processing the depth of these emotions. Especially since a child has no point of reference, no past life experiences to anchor what is happening. And obviously, a lot of this has to do with the legacy of parents, for better or worse, being passed down to their children. A parent’s choice will reverberate through the decades—there are always far-reaching consequences.

Agency. The flipside of being mired in tragic circumstances is the idea of agency. Yes, it is true that all these terrible things have happened. But it is also true that we choose our own path in life. I think the books do a good job exploring the tension between these concepts. We can’t just leave our past behind, as if it never happened, but we can decide what story it tells, we decide what to do with it. The battle is lost when we decide it can’t be won. I appreciated that in both these stories, there were no easy and pat endings, no resolution wrapped up nicely in a bow. Life is messy, complicated, and full of heartache even in the best of times. But it is that juxtaposition of light and dark, hope and sorrow, that defines our human experience.

What I’m Listening To

Burning Down, Alex Warren (youtube)(spotify)

Something to Ponder

You are one idea away from peace.

This post by Kevin Kaiser was thought-provoking for me. And reminded me of this story, The Egg, which I ran across years ago but has stayed in my mind ever since. I don’t feel I need to add much because reading the post and watching the youtube link is more than enough to think about. But I do feel it is important for us to stop and expand our consciousness with ideas like this.

Book Recommendation

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne. This was a really engaging and interesting thriller. I’ve grown to really enjoy everything from Andrew Mayne, and this one was no exception. This is the first in a series featuring Dr. Theo Cray, a professor of biogenics, who uses his erudite knowledge to help solve crimes.