reading : The Mermaid Chair

The Mermaid Chair, by Sue Monk Kidd

i enjoyed this book, even though i thought i was not going to in the beginning. when i read her other book, the secret life of bees, it resonated with me from the first paragraph. this one, however, took me a little longer to get really into. i thought i was going to dislike some of the characters, but in the end, i felt like i knew them, which is saying something. especially when many of the characters are benedictine monks! when all was said and done, what this book really made me want to do was paint and paint and paint. the main character uses painting as part of a voyage to rediscover herself after years of complacency. and while i am not emotionally in a place anywhere near this character, it did make me remember when painting felt like an extension of myself. i ahve been thinking about it anyway, and this book--it may have pushed me over the edge. that said--the story is engaging, the characters are real and believable, and i really really enjoy this author's use of language. her scenes are alive to me. i definitely recommend her and this book, although i would rate the secret life of bees a bit higher than this one.