Jacqueline Woodson’s latest novel “Before The Ever After”, is a fictional tale about an ex-football player who is eventually diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. You may recognize this from the news: it is a real brain injury, the resulting damage from high-impact sports. It has been kept a devastating secret for a long time, tearing apart many lives.
Source: Goodreads
This particular book was written in verse, lending itself so beautifully to the novel, mirroring the struggle and subject matter for this story. No matter the writing style, Jacqueline’s words are always so lyrical and poetic. I am in awe.
I’ve also had the pleasure of reading “Brown Girl Dreaming” and several of her picture books, including “The Other Side”. I’m currently reading another of her adult fiction books, titled “Red At The Bone”.
Source: Goodreads
I highly recommend watching any of Jacqueline Woodson’s online events and interviews. In one video, Jacqueline speaks about growing up reading. She liked to read slowly, and still does.
“So while technology keeps moving faster and faster, I am good with something slower. My finger beneath the words … books meant to be read slowly, to be savoured.”
Jacqueline Woodson
It brought me back to my childhood years. I followed along with my finger, and then used a turned bookmark to follow the words. So many delicious words!
I am a big believer in the timing of books and their significance when entering the reader’s world.
Perhaps reading is about helping you notice your world.
In “Before The Ever After”, there’s a chapter titled ‘Bird’. I stopped after reading this section. This is the excerpt from her book:
“Then the bird blinked once, spread its wings, flew away. As though it was saying … remember this. As though it was saying, remember me”.
It struck me because I’d just had two separate events with a beautiful blue jay. Talk about timing. Over a couple of days, as I wrote at my desk, a blue jay came to sit on my windowsill, and simply looked at me. Whenever I see a bird I usually think of my dad, the bird-whisperer. But now I also think of the beauty of Jacqueline’s words and they bring me solace.
I tried to grab my phone with the second event. This photo was all I managed.
The blue jay bird on the left side of the photo as it flew away.
I highly recommend reading Jacqueline Woodson’s stories. You will come away with so much.
And just as she said of other’s words, Jacqueline Woodson’s words are also meant to be read slowly and savoured. Most definitely.
