Vaclav & Lena

Sometimes, you read a story and when you come to the end it makes sob in grief and awe. It's like discovering something magic, something real and true and beautiful, hidden inside an ordinary day and brought forth unexpectedly. You never want to let go of this ephemeral passing moment.

I feel that way about Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner.

I saw this book randomly on a shelf of new arrivals on October 7th. I bought it a week later and over the past 24 hours I read the entire thing. It was that good. I didn't want to let go, like when you're holding hands with someone and spinning in a circle. There's an incredible streak of whimsical love threaded through this story, effortlessly tied to the difficulty of reality. It's beautiful and I think you should read it.