This extraordinary book is one of those gems, a raw and vivid piece of Lapis lazuli, that I’m inclined to say very little about so as to leave it all for you to discover. Told in numbered fragments, this biblio-bijou is many things. It’s a memoir, philosophical and emotional meditation, and a scientific study of Nelson’s lifelong love affair and obsession with the color blue, all of which are interwoven with her efforts to navigate intense heartbreak, ongoing longing and existential isolation, and the life-altering injury of a dear friend. This makes it the book sound like a very heavy read, and indeed it had me in tears throughout, but its format keeps it from ever feeling punishing. Perhaps it’s also part of the enigmatic magic of the color blue.