Locus Amoenus: All By My Shelf

The most astounding parts of this story come in the second half, once Ulises has resurfaced and Martina becomes a completely different person. I realized, at that point, that the true hero's journey is hers as she works to make long-lost dreams come true. She is Circe, and Penelope, and Odysseus too (she has always lived through Ulises' stories). It doesn't matter whether or not Ulises is who he seems to be (and that question is answered - or not - at the end); he is what she needs him to be, and that's what matters.

I loved this book. It's one of those stories that creeps up on you, until you realize you're truly drowning in this world, these surreal scenes and images, and the very real feelings presented in this fable-like story. The descriptions of local sights, sounds, and smells were some of my favorite parts, since it's a part of the country I know fairly well (my parents live along that coast).