Rajlaxmi ~ sentencesiloved's Reviews > Blue Light Hours

It’s been weeks since I finished reading Blue Light Hours, and I’m still grappling with how to write a review that does justice to Bruna’s work. How do you critique something that mirrors your own life so closely?

Blue Light Hours tells the story of a daughter who moves to another country for her studies, leaving her mother behind with only Skype to bridge the distance. Bruna offers us a slim, ‘Sally Rooney-esque’ novel that delves into the questions every mother and daughter have likely pondered: How long can a mother hold on to her child? How do you reassure your mother in the face of inevitable change? How do you show that, despite the distance, you’re still her little girl who needs her guidance?

Unlike the daughter in the novel, who is portrayed as quiet (not shy, but introspective), I am an active and outgoing daughter. I make friends easily and dive into new experiences without hesitation. Yet, whenever it’s time to leave home—whether for college or work—I find myself overwhelmed with emotion. I think about how my absence disrupts our usual routines, and how my mother will cope with the empty side of the bed in the middle of the night.

Putting aside my personal connection to the story, I want to highlight how beautifully the novel addresses cultural differences and the immigrant experience. The second half of the book is my favorite, particularly the shift in writing style that captures the bittersweet reunion between mother and daughter, and the inevitable sorrow of parting once more. The portrayal of the single mother and daughter dynamic is something I’ve longed to see in literature, and Bruna delivers it with poignant realism.

I was also captivated by the evolving symbolism of the blue light throughout the novel, but I’ll leave that for you to discover on your own.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC, and Bruna for sharing this with me <3