Stories That Haunt Us (Suzanne Forster)

I read two books recently that have stayed with me, the characters, themes and storylines resonating in my mind like a haunting musical refrain. The first one, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, raised many intriguing questions and left some of them unanswered, at least for me. But that’s given me the pleasure of pondering all the possibilities and mulling the reasons people make certain choices, something I’ve always enjoyed—and quite possibly why the story has stayed with me.

I’m still searching to understand why a woman would leave her husband and surviving children under the tragic circumstances in The Lovely Bones. I don’t want to give too much away, but the woman’s daughter, who is also the story’s narrator, seeks to answer that conundrum with a beautiful description of her mother’s expression as she’s sitting alone and staring into the distance, a “stare that stretched to infinity.” At that moment, her daughter realizes that her mother is someone else, someone who’s not a mother, someone separate from her husband and children, a person who has never been acknowledged. I had a moment of clarity when I read those passages. Briefly, it all made sense, but still the mother’s storyline haunts me, and I realize there’s probably something more there for me to discover, not necessarily about the character or the author’s intention for her, but about myself.

My next read, The Kite Runner, is an intimate look at life in Afghanistan that was totally fascinating—and heartbreaking. The story takes place before and after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and includes the protagonist’s escape to America and the difficulty with assimilation. But despite the grand scope and the political backdrop, it is very much a story of fathers and sons, friendship, love and betrayal, all universal themes.

For me, the lessons of The Kite Runner are very accessible. One wrong choice can resonate through generations. In this case the protagonist betrayed his friend and devoted servant. He chose cowardice over courage, and his legacy was self-hatred, which he denied and projected onto the friend, causing a cascading series of events that were not to be resolved until he finally came to grips with his own demons. When the story was over, I found myself wondering if the author might not be saying that self-hatred was the source of all hatred.

Both The Kite Runner and The Lovely Bones make clear how lasting and haunting one tragic event can be, and how it can change individuals and families for a life time. Well, actually forever, unless there's the attempt to face and deal with the damage. But also, that the event does not exist in isolation. It's part of the fabric of these people's lives, and if the relationships are weak and strained, the fabric tears and it may never be repaired. It made me wonder how many people go to their graves with unresolved issues. Many, I think.

I hope I haven’t made the books sound sad or depressing. Both are richly absorbing and ultimately hopeful. Very readable, too—and well worth the time.

Now, on to other memorable tales. As a young girl I read every Regency and gothic novel I could get my hands on. Sadly I don’t remember the title of the Regency that stood out from all the others and continues to haunt me with its dark and daring passions, except that it had the word Lord in it. But, don’t they all? There was also a book by Johanna Lindsey about Vikings and one by Victoria Holt where the hero held the heroine hostage in the tower of a castle. I don’t remember many details now, just images, but oh, those images! For me, The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough still resonates. One of the early scenes, where Meggie and her brothers are disciplined by Sister Agatha, left a lasting impression. Thanks to McCullough’s vibrant writing, my fingers still sting at the thought of a cane whistling down on them.

Those are a few of the stories that come readily to mind, but there are more, too many to list, including the haunting works of my fellow bloggers here on Storybroads. This blog would go on forever if I started listing all the titles that are coming back to me, one after another, even as I write this. I’m fending them off because time and space are limited, and I’ve taken enough of both. I would rather have you share a few of your favorites.

What kind of stories haunt you? Are there some that have stayed with you through all the years, possibly even from childhood? It doesn’t matter at all what kind of books they were. Fortunately, our imaginations don’t limit us. They just take flight and off we go with them on a magic carpet ride … or through a looking glass into another land … or down a rabbit hole.

Where have your favorite books taken you? Please share a few titles and take us along!

Suz