BRIDES IN THE SKY
By Cary Holladay
| When choosing a book to read, I usually shy away from short story collections. This is generally because I want something I can sink my teeth into for a longer haul, instead of being consistently interrupted by a sometimes abrupt ending, only to have to shift gears and get into another thinking mode for a different quick read. I do sometimes make exceptions, and I’m glad I did in this case. Brides in the Sky starts off with a terse tale of two sisters and their husbands, heading west on the Oregon trail, and the difficult decisions they make that form their future. Other stories include a tale of kidnapping in the middle of sorority rush, a fictionalized account of Cynthia Ann Parker, the mother of Comanche chief Quanah Parker, an “interview” with Etta Place, the Sundance Kid’s lover, and other stories of women set in varying times and locations. My favorite story was the last one, a tale of young Shirley and her family set in the 1960’s, with its descriptions of birthday parties, recess, makeup, and a subtle hint of a mother suffering from depression in the midst of it all. These stories are all strongly written, yet leave room for readers to fill in the blanks with their own imaginations as to what happened next. Thanks to NetGalley, Ohio University Press and Swallow Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. |
Reviewed January 2019
House of Black and Blue 