literary fiction - F H Denny

Borderlanders

Published by Frances Denny on October 27, 2021

GILLIAN POLACK

Borderlanders is about three friends who are dealing with everyday life issues, but against a backdrop of magical realism. Melissa, the main protagonist, suffers from chronic pain. Bettina is dealing with a family secret and struggling to come to terms with her psychic dreams. Zelda is writing a book while going through a difficult divorce.

I enjoyed how the writer leaves Bettina’s dreams to the reader to decide whether there’s a supernatural element to them.

I also appreciated the way Melissa’s chronic pain was handled. It’s rare you come across a book that addresses the toll physical illness has on a person’s mental health. I particularly loved this passage,

“She won’t give me tablets for depression because she says it’ll get better as I get better. Then, next visit, she admits I may not get better for years. Or ever. Not until we know more about things. And she sends me for tests and forgets the depression.”

The author doesn’t shy away from the real struggles the chronically ill face when trying to seek recognition and validation for their pain. It’s clear a lot of research has gone into writing this book.

Some other quotes that beautifully illustrate the chronically ill experience are:

“I’m doing this because I’m wonderful and you’re an invalid. You shouldn’t really exist but I’m making it possible because look, I’m washing your dishes while I tell you how to live.”

“I need to pretend to have a different disability in order not to be yelled at.”

“What I’m not so impressed about was the way he shouldered in front of me for everything. He was so sick. And the family treated him as special. And I sat there at dinner thinking, “Maybe I’m not as sick as he is. Maybe I’m kidding myself.””

One aspect I found jarring at times was that the dialogue felt wooden. Everyone sounded the same. Although the characters are well drawn and I didn’t feel that the dialogue detracted too much from the storytelling.

Overall, if you’re looking for a book that accurately portrays chronic illness, I strongly recommend Borderlanders.

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SHADOW OF THE RAVEN

Published by Frances Denny on June 14, 2021

BY MILLIE THOM

When I finished reading Shadow of the Raven, I put the book aside for a week before writing a review. Not because I had nothing to say, but because it made me think. Most period novels I’ve read make me want to travel to the past and experience what it’s like to live in that time. This book, however, made me very happy to be living in the 21^st century.

Shadow of The Raven is the story of Eadwulf, a Mercian Royal who is betrayed by his brother and enslaved by Vikings. What the author, Millie Thom, manages to capture is the horror and uncertainty of everyday life in 7^th century Europe. One day you could be a free aristocrat, and the next you could find yourself a thrall to the Danes with no rights and dependent on the master who buys you.

There’s no judgement of any of the characters in the book. Thom puts the reader into the mind of each of the characters and through them we experience the customs and beliefs of that period. I’ve read a few period novels that have traces of 21^st century values, and so it’s refreshing to read a book that pays no homage to the current day’s sentimentalities. The characters, therefore, feel authentic.

What I appreciated most about this book was the way the female characters were handled. Several of the protagonists were women in situations where they had no autonomy. Several were to be wed to men they had never met, and one was concubine to an abusive master. When you have characters whose life choices are not theirs to make, it can be difficult not judge their situation, and, more importantly not to identify more with their male counterparts who have autonomy and partake in swashbuckling adventures. However, Thom is careful to ensure her female characters are equally interesting, for she delves into the psychology of these women and their inner dilemmas as they try to justify their life to themselves. In fact, some achieve happy marriages, while others struggle to communicate with their husbands. These women also have rich social lives and long-lasting friendships.

Overall, Shadow of the Raven is a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in an authentic spin on one of the darkest and complex periods of European history.

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Mud and Glass

Published by Frances Denny on March 15, 2021

BY LAURA E. GOODIN

I received Mud and Glass from Odyssey Books in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me feeling a plethora of emotions. From the first page, I knew it was a well-crafted, solidly structured story. I was in awe. Then, at half-way through, it had me wanting to go out and change the world. But at the end of the book, the unexpected twist brought a sudden realisation, an epiphany if you like, of just how powerfully drawn the protagonist Celeste is.

Celeste is a geography professor at Purple Bay University in the fictional country of Krasnia. We first learn that she stole her best friend and colleague, Pace’s, research because she believed that the research results, they had collected needed to be made public. Pace has not forgiven her, so we are told, even though Pace trusts Celeste to accompany her on her latest research project to uncover an important artefact, the Littoral Cortex. The book is told from Celeste’s perspective and yet we are unaware that what she thinks about Pace contradicts what we see of Pace’s actions. It is only at the end of the book, when our entire understanding of what we believe is flipped. That last scene with Pace and Celeste is short, but gives Pace an intriguing, but unanticipated edge.

Celeste is a fascinating character in her own right. For most of the book, she’s hiding from the Littoral League, the Praxies (a powerful family), and everyone else who is after the Littoral Cortex. It is not until the final pages that we find she’s also been hiding from herself. I won’t spoil her arc, but the journey of how she comes to terms with the trauma of her past and the events that unfold is sensitively, beautifully and authentically written.

Another aspect of this book that resonates with me is the question it raises, “what happens when your creative freedom is threatened?” This sounds like a dystopian pontification, but this is a very present and ongoing concern. In high school, I remember my critical thinking class being turned into another study session because we had far too many assignments due. Learning for life is what we should be teaching students, not how to cram for an exam. In the past before digital technologies, learning how to absorb large amounts of knowledge was a necessity. Nowadays, learning how to assess and seek knowledge is far more important. The current education system is outdated, and this book starts the discussion on how we could improve.

It also addresses the stigma around the creative arts. In the past two decades, the arts faculties in schools and universities have been grossly underfunded. When I was a university arts student, all our plays were performed in one small studio because the university demolished our theatre and, instead of rebuilding a new theatre, the resources were put into upgrading the engineering and science buildings. It’s great to be pro sciences and technology, but the creative industries are important too and Mud and Glass shows us why passion in a subject is crucial and necessary for our communities. In fact, Russ, the Theatre Arts lecturer, is one of the heroes who leads the rebellion against the founding families of the university. Goes to show us theatre nerds are not bums after all. :p

To sum up, Mud and Glass is a multi-faceted piece of literature, with rich characters, meaningful themes and a topic that brings forth a very real concern about the current education system.

As to whether I recommend this book, “better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” Go read it! It’s a “yes” from me.

Tag: literary fiction