IN REVIEW: Wandering Souls, Green Point Park and Shrinking (2023)
This week we're recommending a book that will affect you fundamentally, a place that will make you feel whole and the latest television show that will warm you.
This might be one of the best books I have read in a long time, it’s a beautiful debut by Cecile Pin and was recently, rightfully, longlisted for the Woman’s Prize for Fiction. Closely based on the author’s own family story, Pin tells the story of a young family fleeing their home post Vietnam War, which involves a perilous boat journey and eventually, the burden of assimilating to a new world as they know it. What sets this book apart, is the focus on the human spirit and the generational trauma and grief it carries; showing that we are still a long way from where we need to be as a society. It is unforgettable, heartbreaking and profound; please read it.
- Recommended by Maryam Adams
When I’m in Greenpoint Park I feel alive on a cellular level. There’s something about a park nestled between the ocean and the mountain, surrounded by city on all sides that feels like an oasis. It’s not about escaping from the city, it’s about lying on a patch of grass in its centre and allowing it to do the business of living all around you. Perfectly situated near the Creamery, the promenade and the gym (if you are so inclined), it’s the best park in Cape Town!
- Recommended by Murray Hines
How are your current procrastination tactics working at the moment? Absolutely nothing aligning with that soft life? If you’re looking for another TV series to fill the void or merely pass the time, my offering for this week is Shrinking. The season finale recently aired, so you have a whole 10 episodes to binge at your fingertips! We’re talking Jason Segel. Harrison Ford. Jessica Williams. Michael Urie. And so many more. It’s real and relatable, as Segel facilitates his clients’ issues in his therapy practice, while also managing life and his own relationships after the loss of his wife. Funny, heartwarming, and freeing to be reminded that we really are all just figuring it out as we go along.
- Recommended by Graciella Lazar