This may be the perfect book for 43T-ers! And several times recently, when talking with different friends about what books we are reading, they have mentioned this one! That is always a good sign, right?

I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and was so very excited (and a bit trepidatious) when I heard Lisa See had a new book out. Not to worry. I enjoyed this wonderful and mystical book as much as I enjoyed Snow Flower. And wasn’t I thrilled when, as we toured Chinatown in San Francisco last week, we came across some musicians in a flower shop, rehearsing for a Chinese opera performance. Synchronicity!

It’s been a long time since I waited on tables but I did it for many years. Debra Ginsberg does a good job of capturing the life of a waitress, reminding me of things I hadn’t thought of in years. I was a bit surprised that she didn’t mention “bad waitressing dreams.” I still have them some 20 years after I hung up my apron. And I was more surprised that she didn’t use the term “in the weeds” for someone who is over-seated. Still, it was a wistful look back on the job – and made me especially nostalgic for always having cash in my pocket. Those were the days!

Last year, I read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See – a totally captivating novel about the relationships of women in China. When I saw Brothers in the bookstore, it seemed to be a perfect complement to Snow Flower. Then I read the opening paragraph:

“To tell the tale of my birth, I must start not from the beginning, but from the end to my beginning. I was born twice, really. First when I tore through my mother’s dark passage. The second time when the old medicine man saved me.”

It’s all connected…first, I set a “43 things” goal of reading the books I have on the shelf before I buy more, then I set a goal of learning the major constellations, then I found a course on B&N University about Backyard Astronomy, then, as I browsed through the other courses out of curiosity, I found a book discussion group on The Country of the Pointed Firs…which just happens to be one of the books on my shelf that I am supposed to read before I buy any more (which isn’t working by the way, I just bought two new books this weekend but that is another story) and which happens to be set in Maine which happens to be my favorite place in the whole wide world. You know that whole 6 degrees of separation thing? I think it works for more than people!