If I am honest, I found this book under a pile, carelessly shoved on a shelf amidst battling an entire family of COVID. In my panic to clear the way to survive the day and the bouts of sickness, I discovered it one dawn, post sleep grief of a dark night. I took it upstairs, hand in hand with hot lemon to suck away my nausea and read it, cover to cover. (a true threading myself together experience, with rather a timely book of pages content fitting).
Was it a need to distract myself which formulated in me finishing it, yes, cliche sounding all-in-one-few-hour-sitting? Or was it the text within?
I can tell you with honest grace, it was the text.
This writer has a gentle, humble way of trapping you in. This is no work of fiction, yet her story woven through is the dialogue, the narrative line.
The introduction is her personal story, the rest is all connected back to her personal story. Within The Art Of Repair, you will sense and read about many mending techniques; Kantha, Boro, Darning…they are all explained with true sense. But it is the writing around the methods which holds the magic. Within the chapter on Kantha, we read about her story and experience of using this method - ‘My Brother’s Cushion’. In Swiss Darning, it’s all about ‘Ferg’s Scottish Socks’.
In bringing her stories to the table, back to their life, she brings our own inspiration back to life, maybe even ourselves, depending on your individual life story at present.
She treats a humble subject, with as much care in writing as creating. It is a soothing read, using her own illustrations.
This is therapy, a vaccination more lasting than any needle x arm bound Booster.
Recconect with yourself and your tactile too treasured to refuse, too broken to use and begin your resurrection now.