"Who doesn't have nights when they sit up long after the house is quiet, looking out into the darkness and wondering if the path they have chosen is the right one?" And with one quote we can describe The Elegant Gathering of White Snows.
The story begins with the weekly meeting of 8 women who have formed a bond after starting a "study group" several years earlier. On this particular night, after listening to one woman's personal crisis, they all feel the need to shed their responsibilities and go out in the dark Wisconsin night and walk for as long as they can. Inevitably, the media takes notice, and these women become inspiration for those across the nation. But what is to come of their own personal journeys?
As the miles fall away, each woman comes to terms with the reason she is walking. To deal with the rape that was never disclosed? To somehow finally resolve the grief of a lost child? And in addition to the walker's poignant stories, we hear of other women who, so touched by hearing of this pilgrimage, become inspired to change their own lives. There is something for every woman's soul in this book.
I related to Mary who was the only woman who did not walk. She wanted to be with her husband and family and she goes through her own ordeal of struggling to understand why she returned home. In the end she recognizes that the choices she has made in her life may not be the most glamorous, but they were the right choices for her. This was a very moving and enlightening part of the story for me. Mary realized she was pretty great, because she was true to herself, and that's all that mattered.
What every woman will come away with is the unquestionable value friends have in our lives. As if we didn't already know, its nice to be reminded that our friendships are precious and important in our lives. We need to nurture them, just like all other important things.
This is columnist Kris Radish's first attempt at fiction writing. Although I personally did not like her writing style, you can overlook it to find some real meaning here. It also seemed a bit over-sensationalized for my taste.
However, in the end, this is a worthwhile read about loss and healing, friendship and love, and finding the insightfulness to go about our lives, imperfect as they may be, with joy.
I think I'll
go out for a nice long walk.
