I am the Messenger is part of the Aussie Reads Challenge I'm participating in. This makes it 3/6 books! Halfway there (technically 4/6, but I still haven't written about Saving Francesca).
It's the story of Ed, a cab driver with no plans, in love with his girlfriend Audrey who won't love him back. He plays cards with her most nights, along with Marv and Ritchie. After he catches a guy who robs a bank, cards begin to appear. With adresses, clues to names, names themselves. Ed becomes the Messenger, chosen to care for the people struggling in the town at life, to give them his message.
The ending wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but still a beautiful novel, as haunting as the Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta (see review below). I honestly think my favorites of all the people Ed visits are Milla, Sophie, Father Thomas, and Lua's family. Of those, I can narrow it down to Milla and Sophie. Milla waits 60 years for her Jimmy to return (he died in the war). Ed gets to become Jimmy, which he loves, because his own mother doesn't like him very much. I love the note on page 56 (yall need to read the book to know what is says) Sophie is the running girl with barefoot shoes. She's beautiful in her own, even if she doesn't realize it. I know her; she's a lot like me. And then the last card. Hearts. That's where it really gets beautiful and personal. I love Markus Zusak. Can't wait for his next novel, but guess I'll have to wait.
Here's a quote:
A moment of beauty
As the kids dance around the front yard under the night sky and the lights, I see something.
Lua and Marie are holding hands.
They look like they're so happy, just inside this moment,
watching the kids and the lights on their old fibro house.
Lua kisses her.
Just softly on the lips.
And she kisses back.
Sometimes people are beautiful.
Not in looks.
Not in what they say.
Just in what they are.
Sigh. Isn't that so beautiful?
