Landing – Emma Donoghue
Available at Kobo
Landing is a treasure. It was such a joy to read. Yes, because it hit close to home. But it wasn’t just that. I loved everything about this book. It is shocking to admit, but it knocked my all time favorite Curious Wine out of first place.
In Landing, Síle and Jude meet during a transatlantic flight. Síle is the stewardess on the flight and when the man sitting next to Jude dies during the flight, she helps Jude with the unpleasantness of the situation. Síle’s attention is not completely selfless, she finds Jude attractive. She gives Jude her name and address, not expecting her to use it. But Jude does, later when she is back in Canada.
Síle lives in Dublin, Ireland and Jude in Ireland, Ontario, which is funny on it’s own. The women are an ocean apart. That’s not a problem when you write letters to each other. But it becomes more of a problem when you fall in love and want to talk to each other, or better yet want to meet each other. And Síle and Jude do, they fall in love. Just by writing to each other, first letters, than e-mails. It’s totally unexpected and at the same time inexorable. Síle ends her relationship with Kathleen. Jude stops sleeping with her ex Rizla. They start a romantic affair. But where does it go? How will it survive the distance? The time difference?! And so on.
The rollercoaster they are on was such a treat to experience with them. Síle and Jude are such lovable characters. The friends and family, who all have their thoughts on the, mostly, impossibilities of their romance, were funny and so, so sweet. I laughed out loud, and cried, was exhilarated, and frustrated. This story hit so close to home for me because I am in a long distance relationship myself. This book was totally relatable for me. Emma Donoghue is a marvelous writer. This won’t be the last book by her I’ll be reading ❤️.
