Commonwealth

This is a gorgeous book about a blended family, risky childhood, and adults coming to terms with their past. The things that happen aren't gorgeous themselves–in fact, some of them are awful and painful–but the contemplation of them is.

Near the end of the book there's a section that takes place in a zen dojo in Switzerland, where one of the daughters of the blended family has been living for many years, practicing meditation. It struck me that the attitude of the narrator towards the family and events in the story is that of compassionate detachment, much like the attitude you're supposed to cultivate towards your own thoughts and feelings in meditation. The attention given to some of the most painful parts of the characters' lives is unflinching, yet compassionate. It's this that gives the book its gorgeous feeling.