Three Steps Off the Beaten Path: May 2015

Author: Asandra al'Terra, May 2015

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast.

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

-William Carlos Williams, “This is Just to Say”

Dear Tar Valon,

May brings many things, including bearable weather, my birthday, and a flurry of graduations.

I recently received an email from my alma mater that they had sent out acceptance letters to the Class of 2019 – as a member of the Class of 2011, I was positively flummoxed. Where did the time go? And, looking back over the last four years: how many things have changed? How am I so far from where I thought I’d be? – and the last, certainly, is not a Bad Thing.

While momentous events may happen at any time, graduations in particular mark a turning point, and often leave you with records of What You Think Your Life Will Be – and these, in turn, differ vastly from Where Your Life Is even a few years after the events.

At 21, I was certain I’d marry my boyfriend at the time – and certain that I’d be unhappy for our entire marriage. I was sure that that’s what relationships were, though: you made the commitment, and you stuck through it, with no take-backsies… ever. Besides, it fit with the plan: married by 25; then kids; and happiness would, somehow, find its way to me.
At 25-going-on-26, I’m not certain I’m wiser, but I’m certainly freer. I don’t know when I’ll get my Ph.D., or what I’ll do after, or if I’ll stay with my boyfriend. I have no idea what continent I’ll live on, or if I really want kids, or if I can handle the dog I’m planning on getting in the next few months. In these four years since graduation, though, I’ve learned two things:

It’s okay not to know.

Every decision you make can take you to places you never expected… and that’s okay, too.

And so, may I present to you…

Three Steps off the Path: May 2015

“Decisions and Consequences” edition

The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera

(Male | White | Czech Republic (living in France) | ? |5*)

The Unbearable Lightness of Being takes place in Czechoslovakia during its invasion by the Soviet Union and the aftermath. The novel tells the story of three characters (a man, his wife, and his mistress), and deals heavily with love, sex, fidelity, and philosophy.

I read the book in college and fell utterly in love with it; it informed much of my thoughts regarding relationships. With that being said, I read it before I became a feminist, and I wonder what I’d think of it now!

The People in the Trees – Hanya Yanagihara

(Female| POC | ? | ? | TBR)

The novel describes an expedition to a remote island to find a rumoured lost tribe. It succeeds, and also finds a group of forest-dwellers who live extremely long lives. The doctor of the expedition, Norton Perina, identifies the source of this longevity and smuggles it back to the US – but along with the fantastic success of this discovery, there are consequences.

Yanagihara has recently published another novel, A Little Life, and both have exquisite reviews.

The Book of Strange New Things – Michel Faber

(Male | White | Netherlands/Australia | Straight | 5*)

A man leaves his wife back on Earth to act as a missionary on Oasis, where a colony of humans has settled. His job, in addition to providing spiritual guidance to the humans if they need it, revolves around preaching the word of the Bible to the Oasans, a strange, alien race.

I loved this book because it was neither entirely sci-fi, nor ever preachy. Instead, it focuses on exploring the decisions we make and how they impact those around us; the importance of faith, love, hope, and community; and – most importantly – selfishness and selflessness. I recommend it highly.

What books would you include in this list? What books or themes would you like to see featured? Post in the comments, or send an email to 3.steps.each@gmail.com!