Our Precious Wars

An Ode to Memory and the Beauty of the Natural World

What remains of the springs, summers, autumns, and winters of a woman’s life?

Isadora, now an old woman relegated to a hospice, looks back on her life and how intimately intertwined it was with that of the big, sprawling house where she spent almost her entire existence.

• Summer: Games and warmth fill her recollections of childhood.
• Autumn: Back-to-school days bring nostalgia and a sense of transition.
• Winter: Crisp, cold days evoke loneliness and the inevitability of death.
• Spring: A season of renewal and the promise of returning to the house that meant so much to her.

Told in lyrical, beguiling language, Isadora guides the reader through the maze of her memory. Like a watercolourist, she classifies her recollections by season, offering a poignant exploration of life’s fleeting yet profound moments.