A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk and Robot #1) by Becky Chambers
Reading this book brought to mind The Little Prince. A seemingly simple story, that addresses existential questions such as: ‘what gives a life purpose’; ‘do we need a purpose to lead a good life’ and ‘what do humans need?’
In less that 150 pages, Chambers has created a utopian world where half the continent is designed for human life, and the other half left to nature, including the ocean. “It was a crazy split, if you thought about it: half the land for a single species, half for the hundreds of thousands of others. But then humans had a knack for throwing things out of balance. Finding a limit they’d stick to was victory enough.’
As we watch our own world collapse under the weight of over consumerism and corporate greed, escaping into Chambers’ optimistic vision of what is possible is like a salve for the soul.
Book 2 in the series (A Prayer for the Crown-shy) continues where Book 1 ends. It has the same tone and pace, with the two friends having many philosophical conversations around a campfire. Do you know what ‘crown-shy’ means? I won’t spoil it for you, but when it’s revealed towards the end of the book, I guarantee it will make you smile. The second book has a very open ending, so I hope Chambers continues this gentle series. The world needs books like these!
Reviewed by Gaby Meares
Murder on a Monday Reading Group
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