Book Review | The Measure By Nikki Erlick

The Measure

By Nikki Erlick
5 Stars | Listened (verses read) | 10 hours 57 minutes

Recommended by a friend, I was expecting a great read, what I left with was countless reminders of the gift life is, the beautiful connections throughout our lives and the heartbreak we experience. It was a combination of a thought provoking read combined with a delightful storyline of various characters.

Image a regular day, you move through your morning routine but today, when you step outside there is a wooden box, maintaining a string, representing the number of years you will live. You will have a choice, to open it and figure out the total years, or leave the length an unanswered question.

While the question, “Would you open your box, or not?” is the first and most common that comes from reading this book. It is not the only one to reflect on as you follow the story of 8 people of various backgrounds and situations.

My Recommendation

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I listened to it, which I think the narrator did an amazing job. Julie Whelan has become one of my favorite narrators, she also did The Four Winds and The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah and Educated by Tara Westover, which I recently listened to.

The interesting concept of reviewing and recommending books is that while there are plenty of components that make a “good book”, I feel the actuality is that it is completely in the eye of the beholder. Beyond the story line, where are you in life, what are the messages and stories you are open and needing to hear at a given time. While I feel this way I LOVE hearing from others books they enjoyed and recommend. It also means my “recommendations” keep this in mind.

The topic is heavy, but it was also a read in which, I was able to see… the gifts we receive everyday with those we love, the purpose of people our greater power brings in and out of our days and the time, if even cut short, we are gifted.

Goodreads = 4.0 Stars | Amazon = 4.2 Stars

Impactful Passages from The Measure

Here are a few of my favorites, leaving out ones that give too much away of the characters’ journey’s.

“The measure of your life lies within.”

“Its not the length of life, but the depth of life”

“The woman shrugged. “I hear of these Americans, they say the strings have made them think again about their lives. How do you say, their . . .” “Priorities?” Maura offered. “Sì, sì. Their priorities. But, in Italy, I think we already knew. We already put the art first, the food first, the passion first,” she explained, a sweep of her arm encompassing the entire shop. “And we already put the family first. We did not need the strings to tell us what is most important.”

“You don’t need a long lifetime to make an impact on this world. You just need the will to do so.”

“I watched a lot of people come to the end, and everyone around them kept begging them to fight. It takes real strength to keep on fight, and yes, usually that’s the right answer. Keep fighting, keep holding on, no matter what. But sometimes I think we forget that it also takes strength to be able to let go.”

“… and so, perhaps, the length didn’t matter. That the beginning and the end may have been chosen for us, the string already spun, but the middle had always been left undetermined, to be woven and shaped by us.”

“Which means we can start fresh. Reject the patterns of history. Promise not to repeat old mistakes. We can lead with compassion and empathy. Fight back against those who look to divide us, or pit us against one another, or make anyone feel less than. It is up to us—the ones who have yet to receive our boxes—to decide what type of world we wish to inherit, no matter how much time our strings may give us.”

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If this leaves you wanting to read The Measure By Nikki Erlick, I encourage you to borrow it from a friend, check it out at your local library or if you plan to purchase it, or purchase from your preferred option below.

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What do you think? Are you adding it to your list?