Bomb Shelter is a compilation of essays, a genre I've discovered this year to be one I thoroughly enjoy. It was a little crazy to read these essays, these life stories, through the lense of a writer with whom I found a lot of parallels... the very similar family dynamics, the sometimes paralyzing anxiety, the keen sensitivity that can be both a blessing and a curse.  Catching a glimpse of her life via her essays was captivating and inspired empathy, but also...I felt seen.  "Yes!" I would think as I read from her point of view. "It's not just me!"  It was a comfort. If I'm being honest, it was also hard.  As a fellow mother who carries the burdens and anxieties of her family, there were times I struggled when reading along because I felt myself taking on her anxieties as well.  Maybe that's an empath thing.