This book held a lot of meaning for me - on several levels. Love can certainly be a weight that you bear, but it can also provide meaning by opening you up to life's possibilities.
Meridian is an incredibly intelligent young woman who falls in love with a brilliant physicist. She falls in love with his intellect - and he hers. She sacrifices her individuality to marry him and support his scientific journey. I can't remember who says it, but I keep thinking about the comment made about people who can adapt have a higher IQ. I guess Alden adapts to the changes in his own work - but he really can't adapt to the changes he senses in Meridian as she starts to become an individual, separate from him. Although he adapts to Jasper without a second thought, which I found interesting - and shocking. Meridian adapts to all the changes in her life: leaving Chicago; leaving school; moving to Los Alamos; becoming a "housewife" in place of an intellectual sounding board for Alden; the whirlwind friendship of Belle - and her tragic death (did NOT see that coming!); Clay; Alden's slow death; the death of her precious crows; the death of her intellectual pursuit. All of these things just make her stronger in the end. She adapts and she moves forward. She leaves a legacy.
Alden infuriated me. I kept reminding myself that he was much older than Meridian and those were different times, but he still could have brought more meaning to her life just by simply communicating with her like he did when she was his student. Then, finding out they were millionaires and he leaves her a pittance to live on after he dies. How insulting is that?! It was incredibly satisfying that she fought the estate plan in the courts!
I had some misgivings about Clay. There was a huge age gap between Alden & Meridian - and look how that turned out. I was concerned (as Meridian was) about the age difference and life experiences between Meridian & Clay. I do believe they truly loved each other though. Clay opened up a whole new world for Meridian. I thought it was admirable that he respected her wishes and never tried to get her back after Alden died. Now that is love. I also think that Meridian did the right thing by letting him go. That showed her love for him. She didn't want to do to him what was done to her. At the same time, it made me sad. His birthday gifts to her were amazing. Her final gift to him really demonstrated that there are all kinds of ways that people can love each other.
It was satisfying to me that Meridian realized that she had married a "crow" and that it was unfair of her to expect him to be anything different than a "crow". Very insightful. I love that she took care of him to the bitter end.
I really loved this book - and I really loved the message.
Wendy's Rating: *****
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