How do people deal with those stretches of mental discomfort, those feelings of insignificance and lack of confidence, the questions of why and when and who cares?

I read. Sometimes, it helps. Sometimes, quite by accident, the books I pick up mirror my concerns. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant chronicles several months in the lives of a 15th century convent in Ferrara, Italy. A new novice is there against her will and disrupts the life of the convent first by rebelling and then, even more disturbingly, by her total acquiescence. The language is rich and the questions of faith as a solution and a goal and of the political powers and weaknesses of convents in a frenetic religious atmosphere are posed again and again. The personalities of the novice and several of the older nuns are described with depth and empathy. (I read the uncorrected ARC. The book is due out next month.) The book took up my total attention but left my personal dilemma unanswered, even as it gave me deeper ways to look at it.

Polly Horvath writes about, and supposedly for, children. Her books are acclaimed and fun and frequently thought-provoking. My One Hundred Adventures is the story of one summer in the life of Jane Fielding, oldest child of poet Felicity Fielding, and at almost 12 (I think) ready for some adventures. The book deals with ideas such as Fate, and Prayer, and Adventures - Friendship, Fidelity and Relationships. The book is about Coming of Age. The adventures are not of the exciting suspenseful time, although an "accidental" hot-air balloon ride and several sea rescues make for some excitement. The adventures are more of the wondering-what's-happening kind - little things that make Jane worry and wonder. Jane spends a lot of her time protecting her mother from Jane's "mistakes" during the summer. And she has some uncomfortable revelations about grown-ups and their frailities.

The funny thing about this book is that it echoes some of the questions posed in Sacred Hearts. In both books, there are characters whose pursuit of the Divine make them blind to the world around them. In both books, a younger character is dependent on one of these seekers for spiritual guidance.

So, is this a form of serendipity? Is there some kind of Message in my choice of reading materials? Am I seeing parallels simply because of my melancholy mindset? More questions! Just when I think I need answers.