I just finished reading an ARC of Ruta Sepetys's new novel Salt to the Sea. It is the story of WWII refugees aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff . The story is told in four voices, with the first four chapters introducing each of the four characters. Sepetys begins these four chapters with "_____ is a hunter." Each character is given an emotion: Guilt is a hunter. Fate is a hunter. Shame is a hunter. And finally, the last character: Fear is a hunter. I'm not doing justice to this wonderful and heartbreaking story, but I'm stuck right now on Fear is a hunter. The emotion of fear is assigned to the despised character. I don't want to be like the despised character. And yet, I'm fearful. The fear of my inadequacies drives me to all kinds of activities other than what I should be doing (writing), what I want to be doing (writing). So I turn around and face the hunter. I'm not perfect, I say. I'm not invincible, I say. You can't hurt me, I say...