“I Cheerfully Refuse” by Leif Enger is a futuristic odyssey to wade through slowly.

When the protagonist Rainy becomes a fugitive overnight, he takes sail and goes in search of better. The book is like an ongoing thunderstorm, with constant clouds rolling in just when Rainey’s situation starts to calm.

Gosh! This one took me forever to get through. It’s a heavy topic with beautiful descriptions begging to have room to breathe.

Some standout quotes:
“We were sailors and explorers, aspiring quixotes headlong for each other. Half the things we said were whimsy, the other half permission.”

“What I had was a toy compass, an incomplete chart book of Superior, and no idea where I was.”

“That was the day I remembered the future, reimagined a path of years with books to read and bass lines to explore.”

Thanks @groveatlantic for the gifted copy sent to me many moons ago! 🙈 Can’t wait to read Leif’s backlist.