So it’s a slightly different Simple Sunday post today as I’m writing it in advance (oh the shame). It’s for a very good reason though as my fiancee, who I haven’t seen for months (not quite pre-lockdown but almost), is coming over to visit for a week. I’m so excited! I suspect our Sunday will involve a long walk along the beach, possibly a picnic, as well as lots of tea and time spent in the garden. I don’t want to shut myself away when our time together has been so limited, so I’m writing my post a day in advance.
Ok, so now that my confession is out of the way, in the spirit of Simple Sundays, I wanted to share something with you that I have been enjoying this week. I’ve been reading a wonderful book by Louise Beech called I Am Dust. It’s such a haunting and beautiful story, filled with suspense. I don’t want to give too much away but I’ll give you a very brief overview…
I Am Dust
Part ghost story, part murder mystery, I Am Dust centres around Chloe, an usher at The Dean Wilson Theatre in Hull. The theatre is believed to be haunted by an actress, Morgan Miller, who was killed in her dressing room whilst playing the lead role in the iconic musical, Dust. Murmurings on her walkie talkie, glimpses of shadows and eerie appearances in the mirror unnerve Chloe and hint at a ghostly presence, although she can find no-one to confirm her sightings. Then, after twenty years, Chloe is told that Dust is returning to the theatre…
Louise Beech is such a versatile writer and I was drawn to this book after reading The Lion Tamer Who Lost, which is an absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking and life-affirming book. If you haven’t read it then I recommend that you check it out (I borrowed mine through my library via BorrowBox).
I Am Dust is a very different type of novel, but like The Lion Tamer Who Lost it covers a range of themes. Primarily, it’s a supernatural thriller but it casts its net even wider becoming a murder mystery interwoven with an LGBT storyline, highlighting the beauty and agony of first love and the hidden shame of mental health.
The storyline has me gripped and I have to admit to being a bit spooked by my own creaking stairs during one late night reading session. But I can’t wait to finish it and find out what happens. There are just so many questions that I need answering. Will the Dust revival be a success? Who killed Morgan Miller? Does Chloe get the girl? And what is the significance of the black birds that pepper the storyline? I’m hoping I get to find out soon.
Louise Beech
If you want to find out more about Louise Beech then I’d recommend checking out her website. She’s also available on Twitter and Facebook, so give her a follow. I joined her virtual book launch of I Am Dust during the early stages of lockdown and it was a hilarious and incredibly uplifting event – just what we needed in such difficult times.
So it’s been a Simple Sunday with a twist today and I’ll leave you with a question. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Let me know in the comments below.
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