Book 218 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: When circumstances change dramatically, let values illuminate the path forward

Book – The Anomaly: A Novel by Herve Le Tellier

Book Description:

Who would we be if we had made different choices? Told that secret, left that relationship, written that book? We all wonder—the passengers of Air France 006 will find out.

In their own way, they were all living double lives when they boarded the plane: Blake, a respectable family man who works as a contract killer. Slimboy, a Nigerian pop star who uses his womanizing image to hide that he’s gay. Joanna, a Black American lawyer pressured to play the good old boys’ game to succeed with her Big Pharma client. Victor Miesel, a critically acclaimed yet largely obscure writer suddenly on the precipice of global fame.

About to start their descent to JFK, they hit a shockingly violent patch of turbulence, emerging on the other side to a reality both perfectly familiar and utterly strange. As it charts the fallout of this logic-defying event, The Anomaly takes us on a journey from Lagos and Mumbai to the White House and a top-secret hangar.

In Hervé Le Tellier’s most ambitious work yet, high literature follows the lead of a bingeable Netflix series, drawing on the best of genre fiction from “chick lit” to mystery, while also playfully critiquing their hallmarks. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme, it taps into the parts of ourselves that elude us most.

Reflection:

Felicia and I took a chance on this one…didn’t love it, but we made it through together. This book was difficult for both of us as there were moments where we were really into it and moments where we totally zoned out and got lost along the way. If this journey was just about reading and checking off a box of finishing the next book, I would have quit halfway without a doubt.

That’s the biggest difference in my life these days is that quitting is never an option when you are living your life on purpose.

This wasn’t just another book to consume, this was about spending time with someone I love on long walks around the neighborhood with our children, going to get coffees at local café on the weekend as we listened to the audio book playing as we pushed Luca’s stroller down shaded streets to avoid the warm summer sun, and doing my best to try to learn something new every day to honor my values and promise to my daughter. Those are my objectives, not just finishing another book for a project to write about in the following morning.

What I’ll remember most after finishing this book, is the question that my wife asked me right after we finished the last chapter. She eagerly looked over at me and said, “Well, what did you learn?” We both were still a little confused on what to make of this whole book and I could tell she was still trying to figure it out herself.

I didn’t really have a great answer at the time as I was still processing this whole story in my mind and what I could take away from it to apply to my mission going forward. That is the beauty of why I write though as it gives you the chance to consolidate your thoughts, space and time to work through abstract concepts in your mind, and develop a clear picture of what to take away to apply to your life going forward. Upon reflection, here is what I came up with after working through this one...

I won’t ruin the book for anyone if they want to read it, but it is fair to say that the characters of the flight in The Anomaly have a paradigm shifting, Black Swan type event happen to them that forces them to question their entire reality and existence. This book leaves its readers with a question of what would you do if everything in your life changed overnight by some freak rare event? How would you handle it? What would be your emotions? How would the rest of the world perceive you? What would you do with the rest of your life?

For my wife and I, we know these questions all too well as we are only a few years removed from asking the same things ourselves after losing our first-born child. Just like these characters in this novel that boarded this flight thinking they would land back home in a few hours, to having their whole life redefined by the time they landed, we went through something similar with our daughter. A little over 2 years ago, we walked into our doctor’s office for a routine ultrasound on a Thursday where we were told everything was great, enjoy your trip to Hawaii, and we’ll see you on your next visit. By that following Sunday, we were watching our 22-week-old daughter being wheeled off to the NICU fighting for her life. 39 days later, our daughter took her last breaths as my wife held her close in my wife’s arms.

I imagine the questions that people on this flight were asking about their life, existence in this world, and what to do next weren’t much different than those that Felicia and I were asking at this time in our life. The biggest question for me after life settled back down was what will happen to our marriage? Would moments like what I’m describing above of listening to a book together on a walk in our neighborhood with our second child even be possible? This was the furthest thing my mind could imagine the day after Emilia passed away. It kind of blows me away that it is even our reality.

Finding a lesson in this book wasn’t easy, but I think the fact that Felicia and I are even able to have these new moments together in this life, share again in things that help us to find meaning and purpose, and still exist together shows me exactly what I would do if I was one of those characters in this story. That answer is to do what Emilia taught us and keep fighting, enduring, and doing your best to find happiness in whatever circumstances you are dealt in this world.

If this is your goal, balance and happiness will magically find their way back into your life when you do the things you love, with the people you love. Life effortlessly and magically begins to blend into this beautiful symphony that results in moments of walking down lover’s lane in Irvington after just finishing a book, pushing a stroller, and having someone you love excitedly asking you that question about something she knows you really care about. This is the compound effect in full action bringing meaningful work and meaningful relationships together for a balanced existence.

Question: What would you do if you woke up tomorrow with a new reality staring at you?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? - An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - The Anomaly: A Novel by Herve Le Tellier