This is the second time I read this book. I loved it the first time but couldn't remember what happened. How is that possible? The ending is astonishing! I was expecting a slow fade but it took such a bizarre twist that was yet totally believable and heart-wrenching. 
 I don't think I've ever been so affected by a book. I can'b believe it was written in the 1950s-it felt so relevant, the privilege of the young, wealthy characters seems incredibly modern. It speaks to what we all believed and hoped for as young people, offering a rawness that allowed me to reflect on this condition as an adult. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised I didn't remember what happened the first time I read this. I was twenty years old. The impact was much stronger now. 
 The writing is perfect and simple and fantastic. It brought me to the desert, underneath the sheltering sky. This place I could never imagine going, I've been there now, by reading this book. 
 I AM surprised nobody has written a modern version of The Sheltering Sky, though I'm not sure I'd want that. I was thinking of the Instagram posts Kit would be making the whole time.