While checking in a batch of library materials recently my attention was caught by a little book and on a whim I checked it out. It was a novella by C. S. Richardson entitled The End of the Alphabet, and while I was drawn initially to its theme of travel my interest was held by the clean, elegant writing. Without giving anything away I can say that the book centers on a man who is told he has one month to live and impulsively whisks his wife off on an international tour, starting with Amsterdam and working his way through the alphabet. A gentle exploration into life and human connections, the themes of the book are handled simply and gracefully. It’s a slim volume but the length does no disservice to the story. We are always allowed a glimpse, a taste, just enough of a place or an interaction to feel its essence. Timeless and touching, Alphabet avoids veering into the territory of the saccharine or the overdone, and when the last words are finished and the tears are gently wiped away I am left with a feeling of lovely melancholy, a sense of a life sweetly lived.
~ Katrina M
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