Carmelinda Blagg's short story collection, Geographies, explores the enduring impact of places and our feelings and relationships with the people within them. Tucked away in our hearts are the memories of everywhere that we have been before and may never truly escape from, regardless of whether they represent a blissful sanctuary or a place crumbling with regret.
From the shores of Dover, England where adolescent desires are rekindled to the vast West Texas plains where orphaned siblings confront danger, Blagg invites readers to explore the depths of her characters' hearts and souls along with everything buried within them.
Blagg has an exceptional ability to create characters that are more than words on a page; they truly leap from the pages as if they are living, breathing souls made from flesh and blood. Each and every character is searching for the place inside them that they recognize as home. This search, intertwined with grief and nostalgia, forms a poignant undercurrent, echoing the constant in their lives—change, inevitable and heart-wrenching. This theme of change, depicted through various lenses—a fall leading to assisted living, the transformation of a childhood monster into a frail old man—emerges from every story, wrapped in grief; an emotion that Blagg expresses in ways that others never have.
No comments:
Post a Comment