Sydney Reads and Reads: March

After pushing myself so hard in February for Black History Month, I hit a severe reading slump in March. In fact, the only books I managed to complete were all for book clubs. Though being written all by women, I guess that qualifies these titles for Women's History Month.

The New Wilderness, by Diane Cook, takes us to the near future when the world has been ravaged by climate change and overpopulation. In a last-ditch effort for survival, Bea takes her ailing daughter Agnes to The Wilderness State. There, they become part of an experiment to see if humans can live harmoniously with nature without destroying it. However, what they come to find is that becoming one with nature may be the downfall of their humanity.

I was into the idea of this novel exploring the climate crisis, and that part of it I appreciated. I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscapes and of their long journeys trekking across the country. But overall, I found it hard to care for, or really like, any of the characters, and I had to trudge my way through it.

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina is the story of Misty Copeland, the only Black soloist dancing with New York City's American Ballet Theatre.

When I think of Misty Copeland and her journey, I'm reminded of a favorite quote from Ratatouille, "Everyone can cook!" Meaning, "not everyone can become a great artist. But a great artist can come from anywhere." Does anyone exemplify that more than Misty Copeland?

Through childhood instability, discovering dance at the advanced age of 13, custody battles, and injury, Misty managed to hold on to her dream and reach the heights of her profession. Not to mention, forge a relationship with Prince! Whether you're familiar with the ballet world or not, Misty's story has something to awe and inspire you. I'd recommend pairing it with the documentary A Ballerina's Tale, which picks up where Life in Motion leaves off and takes you through to her triumphant return to the American Ballet Theatre.

Every Body Looking, by Candice Iloh, is a heavily autobiographical debut novel which "tells the story of a young woman's struggle to carve a place for herself--for her black female body--in a world of deeply conflicting messages."

Novels in verse are not new to me, nor are they frequent. Perhaps I'm pulling too much from the title of Misty's memoir, but the verse gave Ada's story a sense of motion, of momentum that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed talking with The Stacks Bookclub about how the various poetic structures changed and shifted that momentum throughout the book.

I also savored how Ada's story wasn't about just one thing. She is of African heritage, she is a dancer, she is coping with her mother's drug addiction and her father's impossibly high standards. She is finding her way in the world. Ada is a full and well-rounded girl, and there's no resolution to her story. In some ways, we leave her at the beginning of her story, which is fun for the imagination.

Which inspiring women did you learn more about in March? You know I'm here for that conversation! -xo Sydney