"But then I can’t help but think, if I can already watch each day of my life play out like an old recording, am I still alive?’"
"How do we endure living with a mind that can’t stop, starting the moment we’re born until the day we die?"
there were beautiful quotes like these here and there, however the whole thing with mushrooms and the color orange felt a bit incomplete and devoid of meaning, or maybe i didn't get it. it was beautifully written though.

Ghost Music is a reflection on familial grief, personal expression, and the act of creation. I personally wanted much more out of this book than I got from it--the themes and imagery it sets up are fascinating and I ended up turning the juxtaposed themes of motherhood and musical expression (both acts of creation) over in my head for quite a while, but I felt that the narration was deeply lacking in how well it explored these themes. The main character is highly introspective but often dwells upon the same handful of issues instead of exploring new ideas, which was fairly frustrating. The setting also felt quite bare-bones--I loved the few tangible details about Beijing that were included, but for the most part I didn't have a good idea of the environment the story took place in, which is such a missed narrative opportunity. All in all though, I appreciate the potential this book had and enjoyed unraveling its themes on my own time.