Welcome to Litsy!

Last year I mentioned our local library built a wind phone on their property. This week our local independent newspaper made a video about this one of a kind building in Vermont. My daughter, daughter-in-law, their best friend and the librarian spoke of how valuable it is and how much they use it. I thought folks might be interested in viewing the film. It's a surprisingly vulnerable video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3iQpmINd1Q

#ConflictedWorlds Day 11: #PersonVsHurricaneTsunami. Itaru Sasaki built a phone booth in his garden as a way to deal with his grief after his cousin died in 2010. The phone was naturally disconnected but Sasaki thought his words would “ride the wind to his loved one.” When a tsunami struck the coastal town of Otsuchi – pretty much like what happens in the book – thousands of mourners flocked to the phone booth. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-mDh

#JulyJourneys Day 1: For #Canada day, I am sharing this PB that has won multiple awards in #Canada. I remember hugging this book close to me as soon as I finished reading it. There is muted and angry grief, yes, but there is also both a holding on and letting go with a phone connected to the ether, as one sends hopeful, longing voice messages to winds that have swept past one‘s life. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-mDh

The jury: “Rachel Wada has beautifully illustrated a story of devastation, resilience and hope using several techniques inspired by Japanese printmaking. She uses heavy strokes of black ink to depict the raging sea and its big twirling destructive waves. Pages are well paced with calm horizontal vistas, quiet interior shots, dramatic seascapes followed by delicate blooming cherry blossoms and soft reeds reminiscent of painted Japanese fans.”

I gathered brief reviews of all eleven of my 5-star reads for February on my blog: https://lindypratch.blogspot.com/2020/03/february-2020-reading-round-up.html

This children‘s #picturebook about the tragic aftermath of a tsunami works on several levels: pure storytelling; lovely art; the true story that inspired it; and as an illustration of the grief process. There‘s reassurance that grief lessens over time and that there are things you can do that can help you feel better. Rachel Wada‘s art evokes Japanese techniques, perfect for the setting. #Canadian #AllAges

A Japanese man built a “phone of the wind” in his garden as a way to deal with grief. After “a tsunami struck his coastal town of Otsuchi, thousands of mourners flocked to the phone booth, longing to connect to their missing loved ones.” The author was inspired by this & created a fictional account, hoping readers “will see that sometimes in sadness there is beauty.”