If you have a Kindle and you’re not a part of Amazon First Reads, you need to get on that like now, because you’re missing out. This next one was my (FREE) August Kindle book from First Reads… And it didn’t come out until September.
Book 49:
The Man with No Borders
by Richard C. Morais
Genre:
Literary Fiction
Published:
September 2019
Synopsis According to Mandi:
Without spoilers, The Man with No Borders is the fictional story of Jose-Maria Alvarez reflecting on his life from his death bed. His past is filled with struggles, secrets and salmon. As he attempts to come to terms with the life behind him, his memories flood his mind and push him towards the ultimate decision of whether or not to accept who he is, what he’s done and how he’s affected his family.
Favorite Quote(s):
“It is the nature of old age, I am discovering, to remember the entire panorama of the past, everything from those difficult memories we spend a lifetime trying to suppress, to those inconsequential moments that seemed so trivial at the time, but now, with hindsight, take on added meaning and weight.”
“…the key is not to lie to yourself about the crimes you have committed, but to try and let in what you have done and why you did it at the time. That’s the path to forgiving yourself.”
– Richard C. Morais, The Man with No Borders
Awards (based upon my brief research):
None yet.
Pages:
307
My Overall Rating:
4 – I love it when a book has just the right amount of weird. I knew the gist of this story going into it, but there were mystical elements I could not have predicted – things I’ve never really seen in a story before, yet not so far out there that I struggled to see it. I think there are seasons in our lives where we choose to see and believe different things and the author represented that to a T with the addition of two characters who played a significant role in the end of Jose-Maria’s life.
On top of the unique elements mentioned above, the story tugged at my heart strings. Jose-Maria didn’t always have it easy. He was pushed and tempted. He had big choices to make that impacted every step of his life.
His story made me think about the things I choose to do with my life now, about my relationships, and about the things I will choose to reflect upon in the end. We will all have regrets, but reading the thoughts of someone in the latter stages of life (and even on the dying end) points the reader toward a subtle reminder that we get to choose whether or not we accept that. That’s a powerful message. Now put that message in Spain/Switzerland and it’s powerful and cultural.
