My dad recently asked for my favorite book, and I said Cry the Beloved Country, although it’s been at least 10 years since I last read it. He immediately took the time to read it himself, and said he enjoyed it and could see why it’s my favorite. I decided this was all a sign it was time to give it a reread, and just finished it tonight completely in tears. It’s still my favorite, even though it breaks your heart again and again. It’s strange that I’m attracted to deeply religious books, as a person who doesn’t really believe in God. But to me, it’s about the beauty of nature, forgiveness, and doing what we can to make things better than we found them.