“Dying now would be a waste, given how much time I spent learning how to live.”

– A Month In Siena by Hisham Matar

The amount of emotional, poetic and critical punch packed by this short book is amazing. It explores the month spent wandering Sienese streets and looking at Sienese art that the author spent as a retreat after returning from his Libyan homeland, having tragically failed to find his disappeared father.

Within the calm of Siena’s walls Matar recounts conversations had with strangers and with acquaintances new and old, and critiques the art he sees with a light and philosophical hand. The themes are love and death, and the art that winds about the two.

I can’t stop thinking about this book. Highly, highly recommend – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐