Scarlet Stone

Where do I even begin? I know I won't be able to do this book justice with just one read-through. There's so much to unpack, so much that I related to, so much that just made me feel. I'll try to illustrate some of those feelings here, though it surely won't be in any way articulate.

How often do you read a book that comes at just the right time? That can take you out of your head, but simultaneously feel like it's a mirror of your life, or more specifically, how you currently feel in your instance of life? In order for you to fully understand how deeply I connected with Scarlet, I need to give you a little background of my life. My mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she found out she was pregnant with me. She was given the choice of having me, or taking the fetus out and saving herself. Miracle child does not even begin to describe the blessings I've had in my life, and the sacrifices my mother has made in order for me to have them. Something that will probably shock some is that I completely agree with Scarlet's stance on modern medicine and her approach to healing herself. Even though modern medicine saved my mother's life, there's instances where I know that what it cost her was a lot more than she was ever willing to give. I'm not trying to spoil anything in the book, just stating my truth. I've been vegetarian for a while now, trying to be vegan. (Have convinced my mom to mostly follow in my footsteps.) I've been making this transition because of the things I've learned doing my own personal research. We have one life, I'm not going to let any entity dictate what I put into my body but me.

I digress. Scarlet's life before her journey for self-discovery is a lot like how mine is currently planned out. Obviously not the more fantastical bits of being a third-generation thief, but having a relatively laid-out life. But something I pride myself on that I don't ever mention is that I try to go into those planned out aspects of my life with eyes wide open. Yes, there will come a day when I might just say f it and follow whatever passion I have, but growing up the way I did, paycheck to paycheck, I want to know what financial stability is like first. Money may not buy happiness, but it sure as hell helps you find it.

I'm all over the place with this “review”, but really I feel like this book has transcended itself in my mind and let loose this fountain of feelings that I've been holding in during this transition period that I'm currently in. In about a month, I begin another new chapter of my life, and I have no idea how it's going to go. But, like Scarlet, I'm going in with eyes wide-open, taking nothing for granted, listening when someone talks to me, make actual connections no matter how intangible a goal it may seem. It's hard not to get lost in other peoples' lives and just live our own. It's hard to navigate our own emotions and thoughts when they're so entangled with the actions of others, but I'm going to continue to be aware of my existence so I don't get lost and lose myself in the chaos.

One of the many incredible accomplishments of this book is that it managed to show so many different faces of the main characters. How is it that the author can portray the human condition in such raw moments? I know I need to reread this book because there are so many quotes and eccentricities that make it unique but ultimately relatable and I don't want to forget any of them.