The Thirteenth Tale

Rating : 

The Thirteenth Tale is an interesting little novel set in Great Britain that revolves around the complex realities of being a twin. Vida Winter is one of Britain's most famous authors and, as all good people do, she is dying. She has come to the belief that there is only one more story for her to tell, and that is her own.

Margaret Lea is a quiet woman who lives at home with her parents and works in her father's bookshop. She has done a few biographies here and there on people she has found interesting, but more for fun than for fame. She is quite surprised when Ms. Winter contacts her to become her personal biographer, especially being that Margaret had never actually read any of Ms. Winter's works until that point.

Margaret has her suspicions about working for Ms. Winter - because this isn't the author's first biography. Every time someone has come to take down her story, Ms. Winter creates an extravagant one that cannot be farther from the truth. But, according to the story teller, one particular individual finally convinces her to eventually tell the truth.

This story isn't a light-hearted one; more of a dark mystery. Not only do we learn of Ms. Winter's twisted family past, we also gain incite on Margaret's family as well. There is a bond between the two women, although in a different way than one might think. But all is revealed in time.

I enjoy a good mystery and Setterfield beautifully added a few twists that I did not fully see coming. For me, the book was a bit sluggish in some areas, but they did help clarify obscure facts to the story. It also takes a little while to get use to the writing style, being that it switches back and forth from the past of Ms. Winter, the past of Margaret (although rarely), and the present. Once you gain a feel, it is easier to read.

For once, I was given what I believe was a complete ending. After reading series for so long, I forget that one book can be only one lifetime. I won't say that the ending is happy, but it is not obscure and fits the story line well. There is a bit of a Prestige twist (although I think I know the answer this time).

Twins have always fascinated me, and I would be curious what a couple of people would think after reading this book. I would recommend this story for a rainy day where you are trapped inside. Maybe with a fluffy creature to pet and a nice cup of tea.

Enjoy,

Kaity

Working Girl

I don't think that I have always appreciated what I've had.

I am lucky - I am one of the few people in the world who have grown up with loving families, great education (academically and socially), and many opportunities to work.

In the last 5 years I have worked 5 different jobs. Many of them overlapped each other and were for short time periods, but I did it. I was stretched, pushed, and sleep deprived, but I took away lessons that easily applied to other fields. One of those was every day that you went into work, you prove again and again why they chose to hire you. Working hard gets you places (and good references).

Right now, it isn't easy for people to find a job. These past five years, I have had most of the jobs handed straight to me. Looking for a job with no leads was a very different experience for me.

The first week of September I was in a state of panic. The reality that I was now financially independent and had no job was unsettling. I applied at places that were hiring and weren't and pinched every penny I had. (I still do the latter - good practice).

But God is good. As my mother has told me over and over since moving here, God doesn't bring you this far to drop you on your butt. He didn't - he actually provided more than I asked.

I am proud to state that I am now employed with one of The Container Stores up here in Massachusetts. I get to help people organize their lives in creative ways each and every day. This is a passion of mine, and now I get paid for it!

I don't know how this job will connect with teaching, nor the past five years of customer service, being a camp counselor, color guard tech (okay maybe I can see that one), or RA life,  but I'm trying to keep an open mind. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, even from those classes that you feel are pointless.

Wake Up Call

As a high schooler taking his/her first steps to college, there is a realization of being the bottom of the food chain. The knowledge that has been stuffed into that noggin the past four years is nothing compared to the information of what is about to come. (Well, except maybe the first two years.) Even so, a freshman prepares him/herself  for the realization that there are people that know more than you in life and in academia. It's not a shock, it is expected. And one day, they will once again make their way to Senior life - the island of loopholes and advice givers.

For one stepping away from the typical Bachelor's celebration and pursuing an even higher degree of Master's - the transition is not as easy. The knowledge that you now carry with you is different than those around you, giving you brains in one area - and it may not be the area you need. Not only do you feel that you feel a little cha-headed about academia, but your battles in life to be there. You deserve this. Look what adding one more degree will do for you!

Walking to class, you find yourself rolling eyes at the younger students complaining about reading 10 whole pages for their history class or actually having to participate in a group project. There is an extra pep in your step - your nose tilted just slightly higher than it use to be. People look up to you now; they want to be where you are.

Welcome to Day one - the expectations. Nothing you can't handle, right? Two years is a cinch.

But when week two rolls in, so does reality. These class discussions involve more than you have ever expected. It probably doesn't help that you are the youngest among your peers and you haven't really build schema in life quite yet. Not by hiding away in school, anyway. Slowly but surely, you realize once more that you are, in fact and most definitely, at the bottom of a tall pyramid.

In worms that bit of advice that you had hidden away in a junk drawer during your time on Senior Island. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to keep your mouth shut until you have something profound to say. That statement is more true than I care to admit. You can learn a lot more by listening to those around you than by working on your next statement.

Until next time,

Kaity

The Process of Adapting

adapt

 verb \ə-ˈdapt, a-\

: to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

After a change occurs in life, there is a second, almost more challenging stage that follows. Adapting. 

As many of you may already know, I am a great creature of habit. I like my schedules, I like my alarms, I like knowing which stores have the best deals, you get the main idea. I love my life to fit into these perfect, safe little boxes organized on shelves.

But moving disrupts that organization and living in a new city where the typical brands are not around forces one to...re-categorize.

Or throw out the old system all together.

What I have come to learn and enjoy about Boston is that it is a city that goes with the flow. Things constantly show at the last minute and it's all in the way you handle them. You adjust - learn the ways of the locals and follow in their footsteps. I am being forced out of my mechanical movements into a more flexible world. It's exciting and greatly terrifying.

But I will adapt. To adapt is to survive. 

(This is not to say that I will lose those parts of me that make me. I must learn the proper way to connect them with the newer world that surrounds me).

So, for a bit of fun, I have a quick list of things that I have picked up during my first week in Boston.

1. If someone asks you if you live in Boston proper - they mean do you live in the actual city of Boston. More specifically, downtown.
2. Prefer not to spend a fortune on food? Trader Joe's. (Bonus: A lot of their stuff is natural!)
3. Paper or Plastic is a real question that happens in most stores. But no matter what you get, it is expected that you recycle.
4. "Subway" means the fast food restaurant. If you're trying to go somewhere, you ride on the T.
5. No one talks on the T. It's odd and makes people uncomfortable. However, staring at strangers awkwardly is cool.
6. Walking is what you do. (Bring on Aleve!)
7. Backyards are not a thing (except maybe if you're waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of Boston Proper). Cookouts happen on the steps and people just walk around you.
8. Dallas drivers ain't got nothin' on Boston ones.
9. A/Cs are not a thing unless you're in a public building. It's never hot enough for one. Feeling overheated? Open a window. Too muggy? Buy a room fan.
10. Dress like you're going to a fashion shoot. If you're going to work - dress it up. Want a more casual day? Add some jewelry and fix your hair. Make sure if someone was to take your picture and post it on a billboard, you would be proud.

That, dear readers, concludes the observations of my first week in Boston.  Knowledge is power, my friends.

Until next time,

Kaity

Welcome to Wonderland

Okay. Okay. Don't panic. Don't scare the new roommates. Breathe.

Dearest readers, I completely panicked. I was very proud of myself until yesterday. I held it all in, every emotion that wasn't excitement or happiness, right up until Mom was getting ready to leave.

It was hard.

Reality set in - and I realized that for the first time in my life, I was completely on my own. For the first time in a long while, I didn't know anyone. I was having to start fresh and meet other human beings that were not yet acquainted with my weird quirks.

So naturally, I freaked.

I know that being scared and frightened is human - it is something we do when change happens in our lives. I just hate that my body's way of showing it is crying. To be frank - I'm an ugly crier. So, after making sure Mom could safely get back to the airport, I ran back and hid in the small chapel that is in the residence, had myself a quick cry and prayer, and then pulled out my inner Edna Mode to face what was coming.

Currently I reside in the last Tiffany Mansion in the nation. It's known as Bayridge and is home to 50 women who are from different places throughout the globe. We have breakfast and dinner as a family and have "Study Break" clubs at night to help us become more than acquaintances. It's right down the street from school, the subway, and the Charles River (where everyone runs/walks/bikes/skateboards, etc). I am very lucky to find such a place in Boston.

As a Texan, there are things that I am learning to adjust to. Some, such as the subway or running on a path, are quite easy to pick up. Others, such as not having a car, seeing the state of Massachusetts on everything, and having no A/C, are a bit more difficult. But I will survive! I have to, don't I?

I want to thank everyone for the good wishes and the prayers of my travels to this new land. Please continue to do both as I now truly begin my journey.

Today is my first day of school - my first day to start off this new life right and in the best manner possible. It's time to hit the ground running and prove to myself that this was the right decision - and one of the best decisions - I've ever made.

Welcome to Wonderland, y'all.

Until next time,

Kaity