YvonneSometimes Cordelia wished that she could keep her eyes tight closed for the entire journey. And yet, as her muscles tensed for the thousandth time, she knew it was impossible.
“That truck ahead!”
Cordelia’s father didn’t turn his head back toward the road; his mind was pursuing some Shakespearian dream out beyond the rows of autumnal lindens and the rolling meadows of the Polish countryside.
“Ah, Cordelia,” he said expansively, in his deep, modulated voice, his unidentifiable accent, “the sun is going down and ‘kissing with golden face the meadows green,'”
“Yes, but that truck! That truck ahead!” Cordelia’s voice rose to a modified shriek.
“Hmm, what? Oh.” …
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Cordelia’s father does sound like a bit of a dreamer, doesn’t he? Something which Cordelia is obviously used to, but still feels uncomfortable with and nervous about. It sounds like an accident waiting to happen … I wonder if it does?
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As this was an author invitation to read and review, a Kindle download of ‘Zaremba’, was gifted to me free of charge, by its author, Michelle Granas.
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I have this book and have not got around reading it as yet. I suppose I should!
Here is my post
Hi Gautami,
I have had this book in my review pile for some time, however I have been so swamped with requests that it has only just surfaced two books from the top.
I have read a few books from different and diverse regions of the World now, however this will be my first experience of any novel set in Poland, so I am quite looking forwad to starting on it.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend
Sounds good, but I don’t think I would drive with him any more. 🙂
Enjoy your weekend.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Book Beginnings
Hi Elizabeth,
I think if I was Cordelia and my father was like that all the time, I wouldn’t have got into the car with him in the first place, as he doesn’t sound like a very reliable parent, or one that would remember I was even there and that it was his responsibility to look after me! He doesn’t really sound capable of looking after himself, in fact it sounds pretty much as though Cordelia is the one doing the caring.
I am looking forward to seeing where these opening lines take me.
Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments.
Hmmmm… there’s a truck ahead it seems 🙂 Happy reading.
Hi Naida,
I deliberately didn’t read on past my opening lines, so as not to discover whether Cordelia’s father manages to avoid the truck, or not. Hopefully his reflexes are marginally better than his concentration levels and observational skills!
The book does have a premise which is quite unlike anything I have read before, so I am looking forward to reading it.
Thanks for stopping by, I always look forward to your visits and comments.
It’s weird how little things can throw you off sometimes – saw the phrase ‘modified shriek’ and it kind of threw me out of the story. Still, it’s a suspenseful passage…
Currently, I’m reading The Oxford Book of Australian Short Stories… now on 19th century centuries, none of them have pulled me in so far, but they’re an interesting glimpse into the culture of that time.
Hi Hila,
I think that if Cordelia had shrieked too loudly, her father would probably have been jolted back to the present too quickly, which would have probably caused an accident with the truck.
Hubbie always maintains that I can ‘shout in a whisper’, so I guess that must be pretty much the same principle.
I don’t tend to read many short stories, as I find myself left sadly disappointed and feeling as though something vital is missing. For me, a story has to have a strong opening, a good descriptive storyline and a definitive ending, and so many short stories fail to deliver on one or more of these fronts. As you say though, your volume probably does serve a purpose, as a snapshot into alternative cultures, without needing to get too bogged down in the minutiae.
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your comments.