Prologue: Yara’s Journal

Summary

• The chapter is an entry from Yara's Journal.
• Yara expresses uncertainty about the purpose of writing in the journal, which was suggested by someone named William.
• William believes that writing will help Yara reconcile her past with her present and articulate her thoughts.
• Yara feels a need to return to a place in her past to reach an unnamed person or aspect of herself.
• She admits to struggling with words and instead visualizes calming images to express herself.
• Yara imagines a serene setting—a white house with a colorful garden and lake—to escape her troubles.
• Her visualizations include peaceful nature scenes and rooms filled with books to avoid loneliness.
• Yara attempts to follow William's advice to quiet her mind and write down her memories.
• Despite the effort, Yara finds it impossible to connect words with her feelings, particularly when trying to recall the past.
• She acknowledges a deep, painful feeling that is indescribable and overwhelms her like a physical ailment.
• William has suggested that writing can help make the unspeakable manageable through storytelling.
• Yara resists the idea of storytelling; her goal is not to create a narrative but to liberate herself.