Grandfathers and Dark Bundles of Trauma

“This exquisitely written book is mainly centered around Jude. As I got further into the story, I found myself desperately wishing for Jude’s well-being and happiness and hoped he would one day release himself from his unforgettable past. It often irritated me to see his trauma lingering on and on and on forever. I felt the urge to comfort him, to embrace him, to force Jude to let go of his childhood. Yet none of this was possible, and I kept on reading, powerlessly watching him slip away.

A Little Life helped me reflect on my grandfather’s death. While it brought tears to my eyes, it also let me overcome grief. Now, I often wonder what my grandfather has become. A bird? A tree? Or is he watching me from the sky? I also think about how he lived. I used to see him watching baseball, reading the newspaper, and examining a book while he sat, perfectly still, on the orange couch in my grandparents’ apartment. But these weren’t the only things he did and enjoyed. I now know that he owned a ball that he caught at a baseball game. That he wanted to visit Russia and was keeping an eye out on the news. That those books he read were about his ancestors who lived on an island in Nagasaki. That he built a bird’s cage when he was ten. That, when he was a child, he lived on an isolated island surrounded by the clear, beautiful ocean.

While A Little Life may seem like a dark bundle of trauma, it made me think deeply about my grandfather, and it also encouraged me to write. The author’s intrinsically beautiful sentences motivated me to create my own story. Although I had always enjoyed writing, I feel like this book gave me even more power and motivation to write.”

From T.H.

2024 June 15