Before reading this book I would have had no real mental picture when hearing the term “Dark Southern Gothic” but this book was an educational experience for me.
A collection of short stories published in the early ‘50s, it more than holds up today and shows some of the same racial and immigration tensions existed then as now. The style of writing also holds up – it doesn’t feel like something written 70 years ago. The stories are varied and powerful, and each one had me pondering the message. These were really good.
I guess the only bad news here is that there aren’t a lot of other works by this author as she passed away fairly early. I wonder how many authors she influenced, and where I can find more work like this. For me the southern setting wasn’t the key point, but the slow slide into darker areas that each character experienced.
Next I’m dipping back into non-fiction, reading Tracks by Robyn Davidson.
