The Little Book of Forgiveness

Everyone goes through life with burdens. Many of us endure significant trauma early in life that negatively, and unconsciously affects us years later.

The Little Book of Forgiveness takes us through 16-year-old Kaiya’s healing journey as she navigates “what she is and why she is.” This language of “what she is and why she is” is a common theme in The Little Book of Forgiveness, and I believe that Kaiya represents us, the readers. What we are, and why we are—we all ponder these questions at some point.

Kaiya’s dad is a drunk who beats her mother. Kaiya’s mother is so weighed down by the abusive relationship that she drowns herself in her work around the house and farm. She does not realize that her daughter, Kaiya, is absorbing all the toxicity in her parent’s relationship. Kaiya decides to run away, but her escape becomes a curative adventure.

Kaiya’s first encounter is with a princess who has lost her family in a tragic situation. She journeys on to a festival where she dances and is the happiest she has ever been. She meets someone named Open Sky. Open Sky is a conundrum. Her hair seems to moves on its own. She does handless backflips. Kaiya has a strange moment of deja vu during their conversation. Open Sky is the one who poses this “what are you, why are you” question which confuses and overwhelms Kaiya. “You talk in circles, and I don’t understand it,” Kaiya expresses. This is where the story switches gears; Kaiya realizes that “the answer can never be given; it must be journeyed.” Open Sky tells her that the next time they meet, Kaiya will have the answers to the posed questions. So, the journey begins.

The Little Book of Forgiveness is a great read that is sure to evoke some soul-searching. I don’t have the same story as Kaiya, but I could identify with her pain and bitterness toward her parents. The teen heart and mind sometimes cannot process the idea that parents are individuals with a past.

I recommend this book to everyone: middle-schoolers, high-schoolers, and adults alike. Healing and forgiveness are for all people, no matter their age, ethnicity, gender, or creed.

Ariana Blossom uses simple language, but her complex concepts will encourage higher thinking. This is another appeal for younger readers.

Blossom did a fantastic job creating a physical healing journey that readers will metaphorically and spiritually connect to their own lives. In life’s journey, we meet people that hurt us, but what is our role in healing our hurt? Kaiya figured it out, and so should we.