Friday Tea: to stave off the darkness
Books for a weekend of *gestures widely*
Both Harris and Trump are holding rallies in Milwaukee tonight. I’m getting approximately 7-8 election reminder texts per day. My mailbox is overflowing with flyers.
Childhood experiences like mine are essentially the model for Project 2025 and this election is more than a little triggering. Since I’ve already voted early, I’ll be spending tonight with a book and hopefully not looking at my phone.
If you’re in the same boat, I have some book suggestions!
The Diamond Eye
My favorite novel of 2024 is based on the true story of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a single mother who was studying to be a historian when the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. The scholar became a deadly sniper and I couldn’t put it down.
My favorite quote is when Mila’s second husband says:
“Here. My mother always said when a woman is upset, give her chocolate and tell her she’s beautiful. In your case, I think I can amend that to give you chocolate and tell you you’re dangerous. You’re beautiful,” he added, “but something tells me you’ll be more comforted by the thought that you’re still dangerous.”
(I sent my husband a picture of that page and he came upstairs with chocolate and a similar compliment. I also prefer to be dangerous.)
The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, stories & 100 essential recipes for winter
This lovely volume starts on November 1 (otherwise known as St. Nigel’s Day in my house) and runs through the dark January months. Slater describes the book thus: “The Christmas Chronicles is the story of my adoration of the cold months, my fondness for the winter landscape with its pale blue skies and bare trees; for autumn and winter baking and the season's rituals and feasting. At the heart of the book is Christmas, its fables, folklore and of course, its food.”
I struggle with the darkness of the winter months, but this book is like a cup of good cheer.
Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy
I wanted to include Rift in this lineup because it’s a story that inspires me to hope in dark times. As Cait says, “Rift is a story of survival. It’s also a story about what happens after you survive.”
Cait and I had very similar experiences growing up and I appreciate her discussion of what happens after you get out. It’s not tidy. It’s not fun. It’s really hard and painful and just…exhausting. And yet we persist.
No matter what horrors the election delivers, we have learned to survive and keep fighting.
May your weekend be a peaceful one!