"But answer me this; how can a story end happy if there is no love."
~Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
I recently read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane to my little brother Marc.
When I was his age I was completely entranced by this magical tale. The enchanting and extraordinary journey of a China rabbit named Edward who learns how to love is evidently a children's tale, but it has not lost any of its magic, even ten years after reading it for the first time.
Marc enjoyed the book so much he told his older brothers all about it. They however were puzzled how the story of a toy who can neither speak or move could be of much interest. Although Edward Tulane is the main character, the story is hardly about him at all. The story is about the people that Edward meets. It is about the rebuilding of a toys heart. Through pain and heart ache, through love and sorrow, his heart is transformed. The story is absolutely beautiful. Heart warming and heart aching for children and adults alike.
Edward learns that love is not romance. Love is not sweet and love is never easy. Love is painful. Love aches and it captivates. Love is kind; love can be cruel to the heart, but love is also the fulfillment of the soul. And, most importantly, any life without love is hardly a life at all.
As Robert Tizon said "I would rather have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak; than a heart that cannot love."
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