I loved this. It’s atmospheric, wholesome, inspiring and sad. The book gave me Ghibli vibes - not in the cozy and fantastical sense, but by taking the POV of an imaginative child in a confusing/troubling world. I picked up this book because I wanted a dark, yet light-hearted read to get into the autumn spirit, and while it definitely served that purpose, I feel like the story of Merricat and Constance has entered my repertoire of life-altering myths.

I don’t consider myself a very easily-moved person when it comes to reading. Lately, however, I’ve been tearing up from many of the books I’ve read and have started to recognize a pattern: the amount of joy and comfort a person can find in the little things they have, even when they are stuck in a despairing situation which no one would ever envy them, and the loneliness that follows from the lack of understanding thereof. I probably butchered that phrasing, but maybe you get the idea. It’s beautiful, yet heartbreaking.