Mary lives in a romantic city with her family. One day, she meets a snake named Lanmo with whom she becomes friends. From the day they met in the rose garden, a beautiful and strong friendship develops. And as Mary grows older and matures, Lanmo never really leaves her side – he always supports her and backs her up when needed. Even though he knows that their bond is only temporary and that Mary will grow apart. The story is all about friendship, love and kindness in the life of a growing girl. The first and only time I read this book was years ago, when I was young and perhaps too young to understand the story. At first, I loved the connection between Lanmo and Mary – I was completely fascinated by their friendship. But as the book progressed, more and more weird things happened that I couldn’t quite process and found somewhat disturbing. Now that I’m older, I would say, that I just lacked the knowledge and maturity to understand the story, the symbolism and the meanings behind it. I am convinced that the book is much more profound than I perceived it to as a kid and I would very much like to reread it again to compare the two versions that have developed as a result, and be possibly mindblown.