"And I was," Caleb finished.Caleb thought the story was over, and I didn‘t tell him what I had really thought. He was homely and plain, and he had a terrible holler and a horrid smell. But thesewere not the worst of him. Mama died the next morning. That was the worst thing about Caleb."Isn‘t he beautiful, Anna?" Her last words to me. I had gone to bed thinking how wretched he looked. And I forgot to say good night. - P7
I wished everything was as perfect as the stone. I wished that Papa and Caleb and I were perfect for Sarah. I wished we had a sea of our own. - P25
10월 영어읽기. 잔잔하지만 눈시울이 붉어지는, 소리내어 읽다가 울컥하는 이야기. 계속된 가뭄으로 험난한 상황에서도 땅을 지키고자 고군분투하는 아빠와 새엄마 Sarah가 함께 하는 다정한 가족 이야기. 이렇게 쉬운 영어로도 이렇게 포근한(그러나 이상적인!) 이야기를 써낼 수 있다니. 전편인 <Sarah, Plain and Tall>도 읽기.
83년생 여성 ‘나’와 59년생 엄마의 몸에 대한 부끄러운 고백. 여성과 몸과 섹슈얼리티에 대한 내밀한 고백. 여성에게 몸이란, 이 몸뚱아리란 무엇인지. ‘섹스에 내 몸을 사용하고 싶지 않다’는 말에 동의되며, 나이 들어감의 좋은 점 중 하나은 몸이 곧 섹스라는 생각이 점점 옅어지는 거라고 생각되는 요즘이다.
눈시울이 붉어지는 잔잔한 이야기
That night, after Aunt Harriet and Aunt Lou had played music for Papa, and Aunt Mattie had danced, we walked down by the water. And then Sarah and Papa told us thatin the spring we would have a new baby."A real baby?" asked Caleb, excited."A real baby," said Papa."Our baby!" said Caleb, smiling.Sarah saw my face and she knew I was worried. Worried because Mama had died when Caleb was born."It will be fine," she told me. "I am healthy. The baby‘s healthy. The doctor said so."I looked at Papa. - P93
"What will you do while we‘re gone, Papa?" asked Caleb."I‘ll miss you," Papa said softly, reaching out to take Caleb‘s hand. He looked at me, then, and as if he knew I would cry if I spoke, he took my hand, too."What will happen to us?" I asked after a moment.Papa looked at Sarah, and his words werefor her."We will write letters," he said, his voicesoft. "We‘ve written letters before, you know." - P61
"Sarah," said Aunt Harriet, "will Jacob becoming, too?"Sarah looked out the window."No," she said softly. "Jacob won‘t be coming.""Papa‘s home," I said.Somehow hearing my own words made it worse. I started to cry. Sarah put her arms around me, and I cried harder."Papa had to stay home." - P68
Maine is green and full of voices and people laughing and talking; the tide going in andgoing out, the moon rising above the water. Sarah loves it here. The last thing every nightshe walks by the water, and the first thing in the morning she is there, too. Now I know how much she missed her old home. I miss my home. I miss Lottie and Nick and the land and the big sky.I miss Papa. - P69