โI believe that words uttered in passion contain a greater living truth than do those words which express thoughts rationally conceived. It is blood that moves the body. Words are not meant to stir the air only: they are capable of moving greater things.โ
โ Natsume Soseki, Kokoro
FIELD NOTES #19 Quiet settles down old souls and weary heads (a star-studded quilt pulled tight, tucking the world in). Putting you to bed is like watching the sun set. Your tired eyes drifting past horizon lines, everyone waiting with bated breath and you unaware, breathing as if you were sinkingโ your little chin peeking above patchwork quilt. The new moon glowing with sterling silver flames. ๐๐๐ Fire is fleeting. It comes as soon as it goes. Is as brilliant as it is lame. Roaring one minute, puttering the next. Waxing & waning like moonlight, forever cursed to depend on the grace of others: wind and fuel. This love of ours very much the same. The difference between a wildfire and a match stick is everything but kerosene. I still remember the day we said weโd burn it all away. ๐๐๐ Shadows cower while daylight lingers, thin golden threads knit together autumn air.
Who are we? Are we individuals shaped by our own sense of desire, or are we an amalgamation of our influences, ultimately shaped by the people who raise us? Pulling on this thread, Abuelo follows one boy's relationship with his grandfather and explores what it means to live our lives in light of the people who mold us, and how their shadows loom large over every aspect of who we are.
Exploring first loves, family trauma, religious doubt, grief, and the experience of the Puerto Rican diaspora, Dรญaz knits a clever portrait of the relationship between grandfather and grandchild, reminding us that those we love are a mirror in which we find ourselves, looking back.
Dรญaz's debut novel is a carefully crafted love letter to the people who impact us, and an in-depth reflection on the arduous task of being and becoming.