For someone like me who has made literature such a big part of her life, even finding a book where there are quotes about books, reading and stories makes me emotional. I even have some of my favorites tattooed on my skin because I want those words to be with me at all times. So you can imagine how happy I was to find this book, because Below the Dome focuses most of all on stories.

Like many readers, stories are a big part of the protagonist’s life. Katchan is raised by his grandmother, who was a passionate storyteller and shared stories with her grandson. When she dies, all she leaves Katchan is a red rock and a parchment on which a story is written. However, Katchan cannot read it, because the gift of reading is one he doesn’t possess (what horrible world is this, you ask? I know, I FEEL YOU.) When the village Elder threatens to take the stone and the parchment, Katchan embarks on an adventure in the desert, hoping to find the people who live below the dome, where the sun sets, and that they may teach him to read his grandmother’s final words to him.

During the book we meet a variety of characters, all of them meaningful. In fact, each of them is somehow connected to a story that Katchan has learned from his grandmother, though how they are connected is something you understand as you read, and I really enjoyed the added mystery. In the desert, Katchan discovers that his grandmother’s stories were more than that. They were pieces of truth, and with them she has given him the means to navigate life. Though this was a short book, it was a meaningful one that made me think a lot about the role of stories in our lives, and how they connect us. I really enjoyed reading this and recommend it to everyone who wants a short but emotional read.

Thanks to the author for sending me a copy to review.