Of Isolation And Hope

The Path Of The Child by Sojourner McConnell is a powerful contemporary novel which I really enjoyed. It was a compulsive read which drew me in from the start as I put on my ‘Mom and nurturing’ hat.

The novel is two-fold, dealing with a child and her mother. Told in the third person from various viewpoints, the reader gets to intimately know the characters.

There is the voice of mental illness. I found this a powerful chapter as the voices played their part. They seemed to empower the person as their will took over.

Another area discussed was love and care. A child needs to be nurtured. My heart just broke. “She had been told all her life that she ‘wasn’t worth the effort.’ ” Every child matters. No child asks to be born. Whatever the circumstances of conception, children need love and care.

The voice of neglect really upset me. “She wanted someone to know she existed.” Everyone wants to be noticed. No one wants to live in isolation.

The novel was about roots and a search to belong. A need to know who you are and your heritage, so you can move into the future.

The tongue is a powerful weapon. It can build up or tear down. Both cases apply to the novel.

To witness a blossoming and awakening into a world of love was beautiful to behold. “She knew love existed in  books; she was just realising it existed in life too.” This I think is one of the most powerful phrases in the whole novel, encompassing both isolation and hope.

As an avid reader, I loved all the references to books. Many I had read and they awoke memories in me.

Kindness is vastly under-rated as a quality but we all need kindness. Little acts of kindness can produce smiles and swell hearts.

Friendship and families are presented in the novel. The love and care is beautiful to witness. The gentleness, like handling a delicate flower, really comes across to the reader.

I thought The Path Of The Child was a unique and powerful book. I could empathise with all the characters. There were some very beautiful moments that have left hope in my heart, with the promise of a new tomorrow.

A wonderful read.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON

The Path Of The Child on The Book Gobbler