a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather
This week, we had our first rain after an unusually
dry summer and with it, our first petrichor. I was August 8 years old when I
came across this word in a book. And then I read it in another one and another
one. (Funny how when you learn a new word, you tend to start seeing it
everywhere?) Of course, I haven’t heard anyone say it, so I may be mispronouncing
it.
It popped up most recently in The Machine by
James Smythe. In this nod to Frankenstein, I think, a woman attempts to
restore her husband’s memory after it has been removed. As the memories are restored,
his violent tendencies also return.
The other appearances remain a mystery (since all of
the possible contenders are on hold), but it may have also been spotted in one
of these. Even if I am mistaken, they include quite pleasing moments
nonetheless.
The
Taste of Salt Martha
Southgate
What
I Carry
by Jennifer Longo
Diary
of a Void
by Emi Yagi
Butterflies
in November
by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
