“Words are seeds, Casiopea. With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there’s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power,” he said.
“Gods of Jade and Shadow,” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The things you name have power. Meaning, the words we say have power, and words can come unbidden–rushed, and chaotic, without much thought, which can breed mistake and regrets. And words can come carefully–slow, well marinated, and thought-out–the results of many days and nights thinking. And words can give power to our knowledge, to our history, to our children as we pass down stories (both truth and both flights of fancy) that can enthrall, teach, and connect us to our ancestors. I particularly wanted to highlight this quote from the 2019 novel, Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia because this book, in many ways, is a love letter to the fairytale. To the folklore. It’s evident in the way the story is told, and it’s quite evident with this quote about myth, and the power that myths have.
Please listen to the latest episode of She Happily Reads as I break down the aspects of this novel that I loved, and the aspects that left me wanting a bit more than what I got. But, even coming away from not particularly loving this book, I have a deep respect for the narrative, the writing, and the loving care Moreno-Garcia has for the beautiful artform of the folktale.
Listen to the latest episode here:
She Happily Reads 