Shadow Work by Professor Emily Hodgson Anderson is a smooth and thought-provoking journey into single parenting, life and its wisdom, literature, and reading as a lifestyle and a means to defy loneliness.

The interlace of life stories, writers’ work, literature, and the author’s input weave a beautiful and unique tapestry.

This is a book that keeps giving; the more I go back and read it, I am bound to find intriguing details that render me in awe of the written word, of the author’s depth, and of the pivotal role of literature in casting aside any looming loneliness.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Columbia University Press.
Many thanks to Professor Emily Hodgson Anderson for a book that will stay with me for a long time.

A thought-inducing read about how reading, literature and writing defy loneliness and bring connection despite the solitary nature of several activities involved with fiction.
Anderson is an expert in literature and brings her personal experience as a single parent and reader, critic and teacher in these discussions.
The opening quote was a wonderful match for this book, preparing the reader to what is to come.
I was more engaged with the material when I had prior knowledge about the writers, and their work (especially if I had read them before), that should come as no surprise, I suppose.
I will give this another read not to miss any details. Overall, I found this a good meditative and philosophical study of literature and reading.