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A review by ruthiereading
Surfacing by Kathleen Jamie
5.0
An astonishing book, Kathleen Jamie’s Surfacing is a collection of essays predominantly about our collective past and the objects which shape & bind us to our land and homes. Roaming from archeological digs on an Alaskan shore and a Scottish island, to travels through China, a woodland walk and thoughts on a train.
Overarching all this is a book about looking and seeing; examining space, light, nature, pondering history and the remembering of that which has been forgotten.
Jamie takes everyday objects, our own and archeological finds, she takes the quiet moments of her days, aging, the loss of parents, children grown, memories of youthful travels, fleeting moments of freedom, life and all its precious, transitory rush. Throughout is conveyed a deep rooted sense of connection and the weight and passage of time. Aware of our place in the world, Jamie holds both the fragility and resilience of humanity up to view with a clear eyed patience. Tactile, visceral, and grounded in place Surfacing is a kind of homecoming, fascinating, powerful and moving.
Overarching all this is a book about looking and seeing; examining space, light, nature, pondering history and the remembering of that which has been forgotten.
Jamie takes everyday objects, our own and archeological finds, she takes the quiet moments of her days, aging, the loss of parents, children grown, memories of youthful travels, fleeting moments of freedom, life and all its precious, transitory rush. Throughout is conveyed a deep rooted sense of connection and the weight and passage of time. Aware of our place in the world, Jamie holds both the fragility and resilience of humanity up to view with a clear eyed patience. Tactile, visceral, and grounded in place Surfacing is a kind of homecoming, fascinating, powerful and moving.