"How can I explain it? I need to find a path that leads to some sort of purpose, to mitigate the fact that the human race evolved or got plunked down to wonder and suffer and be afraid of death and afraid of pain - afraid because we don't know how to live this life, and not certain we're being judged, and if we are, by what elements? It's in the wondering itself that I'll find redemption in the red earth and the howl of the coyotes and the blue sky."
Libby (not the character in the book) felt that this is really the struggle of Tess in a nutshell. Lucie listed the themes of the book: immigration, wildfires, motherhood, redemption, child trauma. And as the story developed, there were discreet sections in the book that were the elements of life itself: WIND< AIR< WATER< EARTH <FIRE. All represented danger but Tess needed to learn to GO TOWARDS THE DANGER.
WIND was when Tess meets her daughter that she gave up ten years before
WATER was the forgiveness for her mother Kay who was less than a stellar mother, going back to Pritchett's prequel Sky Bridge.
FIRE was making things right
AIR was Tess' hospital stay and seeing her mother die
EARTH was the funeral of Kay, and as the sisters stood there, the ashes blew back on to them, meaning the deeds of their mother can never be erased from their psyche. Kay had the last word.
We all felt the book was a clever construction. It showed the depth of Tess' agony. a couple of us wondered why she went to help other people when she couldn't even take care of her daughter. She was afraid of being a mother because her role model of a mother, Kay, was so horrible. But kids do rise in certain situations and Baxter may have been that symbol of kindness that Libby and Tess desperately needed. "Kindness actually takes an enormous amount of energy. Like wind, like fire, like water. And you know why we seek it? The same way we seek water and air? ...... That's why I am here sweeping. You sweep up things too."
Libby and Ed were the rocks for Tess and they raised Amber to be a thoughtful child. They were definitely kind people. We were impressed at how accepting and mature Amber was.
A few of us had problems with the gunfire scene at the end, that it happened all tidy, like a movie. And we were also wondering if illegal immigrants do actually carry drugs with them as they make their way through Colorado.
All in all it was a good quick read and a nice meeting together on a beautiful spring day. The prequel Sky Bridge is worth reading to bring all the characters into the light and their history. Maybe there will even be a sequel!
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