Run Plant Fly

Alright world, I'm back refreshed; ready to continue my life. I went and visited my parents for a week, and am ready to face the world once again. I finished Run, Plant, Fly by Ellie Belew a little while ago, and my reaction is slightly mixed. Set in a little Washington town called Raventon, the perspective of characters change often and the plot is subtle. The copy I read was lent to me by my friend, Holly. I don't know where she got a copy of this book, because it is not well read. However, I appreciated the small world feel the novel left me with. Living in Washington state, the terms of location brought me into the novel's world in a deeper way. (Terms included were "Seattle", "I-90", "the pass", etc.) 

Let me return to the plot of this book though. In a small town, there is nothing going on. Any event is a big event. For those of us who have lived in those tiny places in the world, you can understand the social change that comes with the smallest events. Coming into Raventon is a small tourist attraction called "the Simulator", but with it comes jobs, change, tourists, and something to talk about. The world of these families, children, couples, and individuals centers around this slight change to the world. It wasn't until maybe half way through the story that I began to engage with the story as person, and not a reader. 

Because there's so many characters and perspectives, I had a hard time getting attached to any particular one of them. It made for a slow beginning, however when I did attach and recognize the characters their story was more meaningful. Mostly, I acknowledged the losses of each individual and watched them grow. And in this small, and almost unspoken idea is the book itself. The title seems so distant from the events in the story. These characters are barely moving, and most certainly not running or flying. This sequence of running, planting and flying did not make sense to me--but it comes from the same sequence of pole vaulting. One builds up to the action of flying, but one needs to run with assurance first. After completing the novel, the title fits into place--but again, subtly. 

Even the story itself has a blurred feeling to it. Nothing is bold, and outright. Things are hidden in the shadows, and secrets are kept. One of most important characters, Cuz, has a persona of hiding. She lives to be unseen. Her perspective, also, is the most insightful. The blurriness is a theme, and a motif throughout. I really did feel that the end brought it full circle however. Although this book did not bring me to tears, or complete me--I appreciate it. 

happy with the small published books of the world,
Emily