Review: Elsie by Jessica Marie Holt
A life change she never wanted brings her to a pivotal crossroads.
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Contemporary Fiction | Literary Fiction | Short Story
Description
Elsie finally settled into contentment after becoming a widow. But now that her sons have convinced her to make a life change she never wanted, she comes to a pivotal crossroads.
My Thoughts
I’m quite a fan of short stories. I don’t place all the same expectations on them that I place on novels, as I appreciate short fiction for what it is, what it’s meant to be—and generally speaking, short stories aren’t meant to be novels. Oftentimes, short reads give me a nice snack in between longer works.
However, when a story has a greater impact on me in twenty minutes of reading than many novels have on me in five to ten hours, it reminds me how amazing short fiction can be. A story like Elsie’s could easily be a quick shot of syrupy, dreary, shallow, or simplistic fare, something I’d fly through without taking too seriously.
But this story is none of those things.
It’s beautifully written. Down-to-earth, yet intensely felt. Contemplative, poignant, and unafraid to do something outside of the predictable. Hey, it even gets disturbing. I sighed, smiled, or gasped here and there, cried “No!” out loud at least once, and found myself tearing up a good two and a half times besides.
Yeah. All that. In twenty minutes.
And without the unresolved, jarring halt of a cliffhanger, this story’s touching conclusion indicates that there’s more to come. It’s the first read in the Homecoming series.
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