The Reading List

“When he eventually stands up from his chair, the evening light is streaming through the window, and the library looks exactly how he remembers it: magical. It feels like a miracle, but he’s never believed in those before.”

The novel begins with Aidan seeking solace in the magic of books. Years before Aleisha’s discovery of reading, Aidan sought the quiet sanctuary of the Harrow Road Library. This moment indicates early on the importance of this magic; without it, Aidan ultimately cannot withstand the anxieties, disappointments, and loneliness of the world.

“Naina had died. But this book felt like one little glimpse into her soul, into their love, their life together. A snapshot of the early days of their marriage when they were still strangers to each other.”

Mukesh unexpectedly connects to a novel his wife never returned to the library. The Time Traveler’s Wife, so completely out of Mukesh’s comfort zone, opens him up to a story of the power of love, even a doomed, star-crossed love. This is the moment Mukesh, who previously only enjoyed nature documentaries, first experiences The Transformative Impact of Stories.

“Here it was, her olive branch.”

The improbable discovery of The Reward of Intergenerational Friendship between Mukesh and Aleisha begins at this moment: when Aleisha regrets treating the old man so unprofessionally and decides to offer him the reading list she’d found. Neither of them know that it is Naina’s list. This moment suggests the serendipitous magic of books bringing people, even two so disparate as Mukesh and Aleisha, together.