Language In Susan Fletcher's Shadow Spinner

The quote I have selected from page 194 of Susan Fletcher’s novel Shadow Spinner resonates with me and my heart and mind because I am, always have been, and always will be a voracious reader and really a lover of all things words.
It all started when I was young, before I could even walk. I was fascinated by the little lines and squiggles. Why could everyone else read them, I wondered, and why couldn’t I? It appeared to me like a secret language or a special code. I wanted more than anything to be a part of the “exclusive club”– that the majority of Earth was a member of, but still. I found it so interesting that strange shapes could communicate the same idea to a million people, each one interpereting it in a different way. The power in words was blown up in my wide, naïve eyes, but maybe still not blown up quite to scale. From that point, I made a resolution. I would learn to read. No matter what it would take, I would learn. Somehow, I would do it. When I got older, I put the plan into action.

My parents read stories to me every night, and my sister and I would beg for just one more line!

Just one more page! Just one more book! My craving couldn’t be fueled fast enough. After finally being tucked in nice and snugly, I savored the words I had heard, them melting like butter in my mouth. Little Pea, Everyone Poops, and Dr. Seuss were crowd pleasers. I loved them like no other. Their sentences tapped out a never-ending dance in my brain. Listening to stories brought me immense joy, like the harem folk that Marjan befriend. To this day, I believe that there is nothing better than curling up on the sofa with blankets and a great

book.
One prideful day, success and achievement were mine. I made out words on a page and built my way up to longer sentences, and eventually books. My teacher said to my parents, "Your daughters have memorized the books in the classroom," but no, I was reading. I looked up and dove into the library corner, content among the bookshelf stacks.
Reading opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I could debunk all
fibs that people threw my way. "Oh, the sign says closed…" I insisted it wasn't, the sign said open. I could better communicate. I could better express myself. I built my vocabulary and made it easier to learn to write. The words that I had newly begun to recognize gave the powerless (me, a teeny, whiny, weak little kid) power. Powers like understanding, communication, and most importantly of all, a love for books. Learning to read introduced me to my favorite pastime and a passion that I have carried with me through the years since I was powerless to the years where I am powerful.