It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up.
This month we begin with Hydra by Adriane Howell, which made the Stella Prize 2023 shortlist.
In Hydra, the main character visits a Greek island, a trip that also marked the end of her marriage. Similarly, in Katie Kitamura’s A Separation, the main character’s marriage ends on a Greek island (but in a very different way).
Kitamura highlights the importance of the ‘wailing women’ as part of the Greek mourning ritual. In her book, From Here to Eternity, Caitlin Doughty examines the death and mourning traditions of various cultures around the world.
I recently added a book to my reading stack – The Good Death Through Time by Caitlin Mahar – Mahar looks at how the definition of ‘dying well’ has altered over the centuries, particularly in Western culture.
Much of Mahar’s text focuses on assisted dying, which links to Sigrid Nunez’s novel, What Are You Going Through.
My review of Nunez’s novel mentions an ‘elderly neighbour’. I can’t remember this detail but it immediately made me think of the neighbour with dementia in Monogamy by Sue Miller.
Despite the title, Miller’s novel focuses on the effect of an affair, which links to a recent read, The Margot Affair by Sanaë Lemoine.
Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (June 3, 2023), we’ll start with Elizabeth Day’s exploration of friendship, Friendaholic.
