Hard to Believe

Isabel Allende is a terrific writer and has written many novels. I know I have read most of her stories and going through the Amazon list of her books I found two I had not read. I ordered both of them: In The Midst of Winter and Of Love And Shadows.  I began reading Of Love and Shadows and found it to be, like her other books, fascinating with her choice of words.

At the beginning of the story, there is a mix up of two babies; one dark and one blonde. The description of the babies and the characters in the book,  made me want to read further into the story. Around page sixty when Evangelina is introduced into the story, I felt as if I knew the character. The circumstances rang a bell somewhere in the deepness of my brain. Had I already read this book? Nothing else in the story had given me that feeling. How could I have forgotten the baby switch, the father who works as a clown, the homosexuals, the love stories, the photographer, and so many other interesting characters. Up until page sixty it was like a brand, new book. How could I have forgotten so much of the story, if I had read it before, and why was the part with Evangelina stirring something in my brain. The book has a copyright date of 1984 and that is thirty-six years ago. Maybe that is why I do not recall reading this book!

I continued reading and nothing seemed familiar. So, I figured, it was just like reading the book for the first time! I did not have a clue as to how the story ended. Why had the character of Evangelina and her epilepsy attacks stuck with me when the other interesting characters had disappeared from my mind? It's hard to believe that an interesting story can fade away, especially one of Allende's books. I will read it again with just as much interest as I did the first time, if I did read it before, and maybe I will find out whether I either did or did not read the book.

How can something be erased from a mind yet leaves subtle hints? You know you have been there before, yet you are not positive. Is this how an Alzheimer patient is, remembering bits and pieces of life until it all disappears?

Now, I look at the cover of the other book and I wonder if maybe I read it also. Soon, I will find out after I begin to read In The Midst of Winter. Its copyright is 2017 and chance are that I may not have read it!  One good thing, when memory fails us, is that books can be reread with just as much enthusiasm as the first time!

"A person who doesn't read

is no better off than the 

person who can't read."

Unknown