Now is Not the Time to Panic

October 23, 2023

Now is Not the Time to Panic, by Kevin Wilson, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones

Despite its title, Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson is not a thriller or suspense. There is no murder mystery, and no jump scares. Instead, it is a short, coming-of-age, social-horror leaning novel that beautifully blends the individualistic teenage mindset with small-town views. Frankie and Zeke, two sixteen-year-old misfits in rural Tennessee, find themselves spending the warm summer months together, sharing the one thing that means the most to them: art. While Frankie works on her novel, Zeke hopes to create a comic book, but they end up working together to create something they can put into the world and which people will take notice of.

Thus begins the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Frankie’s written words, “The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us,” paired with Zeke’s artwork: two skeletal hands hovering over beds filled with children, tangled in sheets. Together, a powerful image and a mysterious message. After they make hundreds upon hundreds of copies and anonymously hang them up around the community, the Coalfield residents take notice and do not understand - is it a threat of some kind? This confusion develops into concern and, eventually, panic. Everyone is paranoid, convinced there is an evil presence, maybe even a cult, threatening their peaceful lives.

The novel opens with a telephone call to Frankie from a New York reporter. The reporter claims she has it all figured out: Frankie was behind the events back in 1996. Frankie, now grown with a husband and small child, is unsettled, hoping this woman does not expose her secret to the world. She thinks back to how it all began and the narrative returns to the summer of 1996.

Frankie and Zeke meet one balmy day at a public swimming pool. Zeke is new in town and they connect over their deadbeat fathers; Frankie’s father slept with his secretary, moved away with her, and named his new daughter Frances (Frankie’s birth name), while Zeke and his mother moved from Memphis back to Coalfield, where she is originally from, after his father also engaged in multiple infidelities.

Frankie’s mindset is that of a typical teenager, as she feels misunderstood and views her circumstances as black and white. In regards to her parents, she thinks, “You had to choose sides. And you always chose the person who didn’t fuck everything up. You chose the person who was stuck with you” (18). She needs Zeke to understand this advice, to understand he doesn’t have to forgive his father or even speak to him. Neither of their fathers chose them, so they have to side with their mothers. And, perhaps maybe even more importantly, they have to choose each other.

Their relationship progresses as they share their aspirations: she wants to be a writer and he wishes to be an artist. His goal is “to make something that everyone in the world will see. And they’ll remember it. And they won’t totally understand it” (20). They decide to spend the summer making art together and, through this outlet, Frankie reflects, “I felt like we were making something important. I felt like, I don’t know, I was in control. I was making the decisions. And as long as I was choosing, it was okay” (29). Like many teenagers, Frankie feels desperate to have control over any aspect of her life, as she considers her family unstable and yet, boring at the same time. Her mother and brothers are hardly ever home and her dad is no longer in the picture. Zeke and their poster are the only stable things she has. She wonders, “How did you prevent your life from turning into something so boring that no one wanted to know about it? How did you make yourself special?” (32). While creating this poster does make Frankie feel incredibly special, the reaction from the town greatly worries the two of them. The people Frankie had grown up around do not only not appreciate the artwork, but actively misconstrue the message and make it into an ugly, frightening entity that begins to terrorize the small community. Frankie always felt different from her peers, and this leads to Frankie feeling more misunderstood than ever.

One of the other main themes from this story is that if one pushes something away into a dark corner and covers it up, it is gone and doesn’t have to be acknowledged again. This is symbolized by the photocopier that Frankie and Zeke use to make copies of their poster. After Frankie’s older brothers originally steal it, the copier had been hidden in the garage and forgotten for a long time. When Frankie and Zeke are done making their copies, it’s pushed back into the corner and covered with a tarp. “If you couldn’t see it, if you pushed it into a dark corner, it didn’t exist” (26). This is how Frankie copes in life after the panic - she never told anyone that she had been the instigator, and she simply hoped it would all go away. Even her relationship with her father and half-sister is pushed to the side, without the slightest attempt to establish communication.

This is a short novel that packs in a lot of emotion, small town scenery, and teenage angst. Anyone who has ever worried they may not leave a mark on the world will be able to relate to Frankie and Zeke, as they do their best to navigate big decisions when their world feels like it's spinning out of control.

Now is Not the Time to Panic, Kevin Wilson, Ecco. November 2022, 246 pages.

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

Remarkably Bright Creatures

May 22, 2023

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones

In Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures, Tova Sullivan is a septuagenarian widow living in the fictional small town of Sowell Bay, a couple hours north of Seattle. She works as a night custodian at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, spending most of her time around sea creatures instead of people. Her favorite is a sixty pound giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus, who sees deeper into Tova than any human has for a long while.

The relationship that Tova and Marcellus cultivate is touching and unexpected. Marcellus is painted as a “remarkably bright” creature who can see beyond the surface level details of humans. In fact, he ridicules humans for not seeing what he deems obvious or perfunctory. Despite the aquarium manager Terry’s attempts to render Marcellus’ enclosure escape-proof, the octopus escapes and roams the building at night. During one of these escapades, Tova notices Marcellus tangled in some cords and frees him, which builds their trust.

The novel’s narration mainly switches between mainly Tova and Marcellus and, after a few chapters, a character named Cameron Cassmore, the new custodian. Marcellus’ sections are short and in the first person, each labeled “Day X of my Captivity,” and give readers an inside look into his observations of Tova, Terry, and Cameron. As the story progresses, the three narrators become more tangled (sometimes literally) as they try to resolve their conflicts.

Cameron is on a mission to find his real dad, as he is desperate for cash and hopes to pressure his unwitting father into giving him money. Cameron is not a bad person; rather he had a tough upbringing that resulted in an inability to retain a job or a girlfriend. He thinks back to his childhood, when his mother had issues with drugs and his father was absent. He spent most of his time with his aunt, who raised him into his teenage years. Still depending on her throughout his adult life makes him feel guilty and less of a competent adult than he would like. Cameron is not the only character to struggle with the idea of a happy, whole family, or the lack thereof.

It is revealed early in the novel that Tova’s son Erick passed away thirty years ago. The authorities labeled the case a suicide, but Tova does not believe that for a second. Just an eighteen-year-old kid, he worked at the ferry dock in the ticket terminal, which was found unlocked, his backpack stowed safely along with his possessions. But he was nowhere to be found. His fingerprints and pants were found on a rusty rudder of a small boat. Without further evidence, the police settled on suicide as the manner of death, which makes Tova feel helpless.

Tova’s friends all have children and grandchildren. Her only relative, a brother named Lars, soon passes away, and she is left to decide how to spend the remaining years of her life: apply for the same care facility Lars was in, or stay in the small town she loves? Cameron, too, only has his aunt, who has problems of her own, namely she has started “collecting” bits of rubbish around the house and may have an issue with alcohol, which he seems to have inherited. Cameron is concerned about her and hopes to pay her back money he borrowed from her. Therefore he takes this trip north from California to the small town of Sowell Bay, all based on an Internet lead and a hunch.

A pervasive theme throughout the novel is loneliness; Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus all have chapters dedicated to their longing for companionship. Tova once had this with her late husband, but she struggles moving on from his passing. Loss can happen at any stage of life, whether you are a septuagenarian, mourning the loss of a spouse or child, or a man in his mid to late twenties, pondering what could have been if his mother had just been healthy. Even Marcellus reflects on his impending death, as his breed of octopus only lives four to six years, and he begins to feel himself grow older and slower. We are all at some point confronted with death, and reading how these characters navigate their own emotions and reflections upon life and death is both heartwarming and melancholic.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

May 3, 2022, Ecco, 368 pages.

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

Cult Classic

April 10, 2023

Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones

A “contest among the dead” lottery is held in the afterlife to rejoin the living for just three minutes and experience how it feels to be alive once more. This brief, unsettling tale sets a sinister tone instantly. A man named Clive hears of it from his mother, then passes it on to his coworker, the story’s protagonist, Lola. Lola is taken aback; they work together at a scientific magazine and usually base their perspective on fact; however, Clive seemingly believes that this ghost story could be true. The prologue reveals Clive has passed away since recounting this story to Lola, leaving readers to wonder under what circumstances he died.

The narrative begins with 37-year old Lola at a trendy dinner in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood, with some former coworkers, including Clive. Friday night drinks remain a long standing tradition though they no longer work together. Clive is described in detail; his eccentricities, his flirty relationship with Lola despite being married, and his sense of loss when their company folded. Also at the table sits Vadis, Lola’s closest girlfriend, despite the fact that they do not have a lot in common.

To get some air, Lola walks to a bodega for some cigarettes. As she exits and returns to the restaurant, she runs into her ex-boyfriend, Amos, a poet and novelist. He greets Lola happily, and asks her to get a drink. She agrees, reassuring herself that nothing bad will happen. As they sit down at a nearby bar, he notices her engagement ring. Lola reflects that she has felt disconnected from her fiancé, Boots, lately. She and Boots have agreed never to discuss exes with one another so as to not get caught up on any messy feelings.

Amos pompously attempts to coerce Lola into admitting she is not happy in her current relationship, and that what they had was superior. During this conversation she reflects back to how she and Amos treated each other. Despite many memorable and loving moments, he takes little accountability as to why they broke up, citing society’s unreasonable expectations that men settle down and women simply settle. He comes across as pretentious and arrogant, and Lola thinks back to when he once told her, “You aren’t like other women, you’re sane and intelligent” (42). This backhanded compliment is pervasive not only in this novel, but in media and relationships across the world. Women are told by men that they “aren’t like other girls” which is supposed to be a compliment, a sign that they are cool and can hang out with men, but it also says that “normal” women are not usually good enough to do so. Lola further reflects that as women age, the dating game becomes focused on an idea she calls, “Don't Scare the Men” (39). If women want to be able to wrangle a man into a lasting relationship, the messaging they are given revolves around presenting your best self at all times. Ultimately, she gets a bit of closure from her discussion with Amos, and decides that the breakup was for the best.

The next evening at the same restaurant, she runs into a second ex-boyfriend, a younger and very handsome former Olympian who is now married with twin girls. The interaction was pleasant but now Lola is feeling uneasy about running into former partners two nights in a row. It must just be a coincidence, right? Oddly, this isn’t the last time it will happen. Is it fate, or is it a set-up? Is someone trying to sabotage her relationship with Boots?

Shortly thereafter, Lola and Vadis go out together for some light shopping but Vadis guides her to a mysterious garden atrium through a closed synagogue and key-padded doors. A man named Errol appears and seems to already know a lot about Lola despite never having met. People all around her are acting oddly and secretive, so what could they be up to? Lola finds herself at the center of a social experiment, and she must overcome a series of difficult situations in order to confirm whether or not her relationship with Boots is meant to be. It is not until the end that readers discover the cause of Clive’s death as well as the circumstances surrounding it, and its connection to Lola’s bizarre situation.

Throughout this journey, Lola thinks, “If you wait long enough, anyplace will become a barracks of the romantic undead, a sprawling museum of personal bombs” (122). Crosley writes these witty, profound observations in a beautiful way. Lola’s perspective about love and relationships is challenged, and New York City becomes her own museum of personal bombs, as she must navigate the safest way through these tests and temptations in order to choose the best path for her future happiness. Lola comes across as somewhat detached and unemotional, but as she is forced to confront the ghosts of relationships past, she does the work to sort through these emotions to decide which are valid and which are not.

Cult Classic is a musing on love, past and present relationships, our deal breakers, boundaries, and why we decide to break up with someone versus agreeing to continue the relationship into marriage. While readers get an intimate look into Lola’s past relationships, we are encouraged to ruminate on our own.

Cult Classic, Sloane Crosley

June 7th 2022, MCD, 304 pages.

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

What Moves the Dead

March 20, 2023

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones

Retired soldier Alex Easton is summoned to a childhood friend’s dilapidated mansion after receiving a letter from Madeline Usher that she is dying. Once Alex arrives, it is apparent that something very grim has taken hold of the estate, and not all is what it seems.

The eerie tone is set immediately as Alex rides on horseback toward the House of Usher. The forest path is lined with mushrooms described as “flesh-like” and “clammy”, which grow “out of the gaps in the stones of the tarn like tumors growing from diseased skin” (1). The surrounding lake also “lay dark and very still,” and does not encourage the idea to drink from it, even after a long ride. Just around the corner from the house, Alex meets an illustrator named Eugenia Potter, painting the mushrooms, with whom Alex engages in conversation. Miss Potter informs Alex of certain histories and scientific names of the species, which segues into a brief explanation of Alex’s fictional home country of Gallacia, and the idiosyncratic intricacies of its language.

The language from Alex’s home country of Gallacia differs, in that it utilizes seven sets of pronouns, and Alex uses a genderless pronoun that soldiers adopt once they are sworn into the army. When Denton, an American doctor, meets Alex for the first time, he “stared,” and Alex “recognized the look” (17). Alex muses internally that Denton, “was likely not expecting a short, stout person in a dusty greatcoat and a military haircut. I no longer bother to bind my breasts, but I never had a great deal to worry about in that direction, and my batman sees that my clothing is cut in proper military style” (16). During their conversation, Alex observes, “the wheels working in his head, trying to determine my relationship to his friend’s sister. It was vaguely amusing and vaguely offensive all at once” (18). Non Gallacians often try to categorize Alex into the gender binary when they first meet, not knowing their pronouns ka/kan, which are used to refer to anyone serving in the Gallacian military.

In this retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, Kingfisher modernizes some aspects, like including non-binary characters, while still keeping some of the historical components. For one, the time period is still set in the late-1800s and modern medicine and technology have not yet been developed. Characters rely on old modes of transit like horses and carriages, as well as antiquated means of communication, like letter writing. As far as the more modern components, the voice and perspectives of the protagonist, Alex, are more updated. Alex is told that, “Hysterical epilepsy is probably the diagnosis she’d be given in Paris, for all the good it does…a useless damn diagnosis” (31). Historically, women who showed signs of distress that were not obviously due to a known medical cause, were often labeled hysterical and were subject to hysterectomies – the removal of one’s uterus – as a treatment. It is refreshing to read a conversation about an ailing woman in which a doctor agrees that hysteria is a “useless” term to describe her symptoms.

When Alex arrives at the house of Usher, the twin siblings Madeline and Roderic have outwardly aged many more years than expected. Alex describes Roderick as “unrecognizable” due to his skin being, “the color of bone, white with a sallow undertone, a nasty color, like a man going into shock. His eyes had sunk into deep hollows tinged with blue…” (13). Madeline too, “had become so thin that [Alex] could nearly see the bones under the skin. Her lips were tinged with violet, like a drowning woman’s… then she stretched out a hand like a bird’s claw… and [Alex] saw that her fingernails were the same deep cyanotic violet” (16). Alex is alarmed by the siblings' deterioration, and attempts to sway them to leave their home, to seek healthcare in Paris, but they refuse.

The house itself is initially described by Alex as “a depressing scene,” as “the windows of the house stared down like eye sockets in a row of skulls” (9). Despite the grim exterior, Alex’s determination is not hampered. Inside the entrance, “wallpaper had peeled back from the walls, hanging in rages, leaving the exposed flesh of the building behind. Mold crept up the pale boards, tiny spots of black that joined together like constellations.” Roderick claims to “hear things… Other people’s breathing sounds like thunder…worms in the rafters” (30). Alex worries that Roderick is going mad. After Madeline passes away, Alex is devastated but Roderick behaves oddly. He is skittish and paranoid, thinking he hears whispers from the walls. Alex begins to wonder if Madeline’s death was due to natural causes. Perhaps Roderick’s paranoia is truly a result of grief, but maybe it is more sinister?

The novel is packed with atmospheric imagery, from the description of the house, to the deterioration of the characters appearances, to the odd-behaving, orange-eyed hares that surround the estate. It is up to Alex to figure out the cause of the Usher siblings’ poor health, alongside Denton.

It is not necessary to have read Poe’s original story before enjoying this one, though it is interesting to compare the two. Poe is known for extremely dark, ethereal writing, and T. Kingfisher does not disappoint in this retelling; the creepy mood is apparent on every page, through characterization and imagery. She adds a few more characters and traits than the original, as well as a subplot or two to add to the chilling conspiracy. It is a quick, gripping story to read leading up to Halloween, or just on a cold, rainy day.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

July 12, 2022

Tor Nightfire

165 pages

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

Comeuppance Served Cold

February 9, 2023

Comeuppance Served Cold by Marion Deeds, reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones

Seattle 1929 - A brief prologue features a masked woman fleeing a room housing the corpse of another woman draped over a couch. She walks into the autumn night holding a suitcase and requests that a taxi take her to a speakeasy. We are left wondering: who are these women, and how did one of them end up dead?

Thirteen days prior to this opening event, the protagonist, Dolly, interviews for a position as a companion for a wealthy girl in her early twenties. Mr. Earnshaw, the wealthy girl’s father, is an important man in the Seattle law-making scene. He explains that his daughter, Fiona, is growing irresponsible and reckless. She is to be married soon, though she is clearly unhappy with this prospect and rebels against her father and older brother, who both seem controlling and dangerous. Dolly is a mysterious protagonist, as the reader can never pinpoint her exact motivations for taking this job, or any specifics of her employment history for that matter. What were these obscure jobs from her past? Why does she continue moving from place to place?

Meanwhile, Mr. Earnshaw is involved in regulating magic to limit those who possess potentially dangerous powers. The Seattle government works closely with the Commission of the Magi to regulate the magic that some of the citizens possess. They wish to regulate the magic as there are growing concerns among Seattlites regarding shapeshifters—people who can turn into wolves, cougars, and other potentially dangerous animals. An attack in a downtown market causes many people to advocate for further restrictions. This criminalization, in addition to prohibition, adds an extreme unspoken tension as characters navigate their everyday lives. Though Dolly does not possess magical powers, she did spend time studying potion-making and can wield magical objects for her own protection.

In parallel to these developments, two new characters, black siblings named Violet and Phillipe, are introduced. Philippe is a bartender at a speakeasy as well as a cougar shapeshifter. His partner, Gabe, is white, blind and a tattooist; he can tattoo protective designs onto others, despite not being able to see. They discuss details about the Earnshaw family, referring to the father as the White King, and fear what he may do to their family. He could potentially have shapeshifters unlawfully arrested, separating families and leaving them with bad reputations. This is not only because of their skin color, but because of Gabe and Phillipe’s relationship, and the fact that Phillipe is a shapeshifter. Unfortunately, there are magical ways in which shapeshifters can be forced to change into their animal side, after which they are unable to control their animal impulses. Mr. Earnshaw’s cronies are suspected of doing this purposely, in order to make arrests. These desperate solutions from the government are dangerous; animals who are backed into a corner only see one way out and anyone in the area will get hurt.

Violet, much like Dolly, does not possess inherent magic. Violet’s past is also fraught with trauma, as her serious partner, Pedro, was killed in a fire. After his death, she had to pick up the pieces of her life and take extra care to be safe, moving cross-country to a new city, where no one knew of her past. She opens a speakeasy where Phillipe tends bar. At the front of this speakeasy is a hat shop. These hats and other descriptions of clothing are major contributors to the 1920s vibe of the story. Dolly often observes the features of clothing or accessories that she and others are wearing. She describes stitching, fabric, and texture. There is a satisfying balance between realistic, historically-based fiction and fantasy that blends together.

The author includes the sensitive topics of race, patriarchy, and heteronormativity in a way that reflects the 1920s; Phillipe and Gabe’s relationship is kept under wraps, and Phillipe and Violet must be cautious in the way they address the white people in power. Additionally, Fiona’s brother has a reputation for getting away with abusing women, and Dolly is repeatedly told to be careful around him. It is of course her responsibility to be careful, and not his responsibility to change his behavior. Dolly’s concerns grow as he becomes more and more forward with her, finally reaching the point where she has to utilize self-defense.

As the plot progresses, the perspective switches between the siblings’ story of survival and Dolly’s attempts to wrangle Mr. Earnshaw’s daughter. Eventually, their paths cross, and they work together in order to carry out a heist. The planning phase of the heist takes place behind the scenes, and is largely unclear until the end. Namely, what is being “stolen?” Little by little, pieces click into place, until the full picture comes together. Now the masked woman disappearing into the night, the body, and the circumstances all make sense.

The structure of the novel is a circular plot that keeps the reader intrigued. Though it is a quick read, the characters feel developed and whole. This quick read is exceedingly enjoyable, especially for one who likes atmospheric heist-style mysteries, or historical fantasy.

Comeuppance Served Cold by Marion Deeds, published Mar 22, 2022 by Tordotcom. 192 pages.

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

New York, My Village

December 23, 2022

New York, My Village, by Uwem Akpan (reviewed by Katy Mitchell-Jones)

Ekong Otis Udousoro is in Nigeria preparing for his visa interview to America for a fellowship trip. This trip to New York City will focus on learning the ins and outs of the industry at a small publishing house while editing an anthology on the Biafran War. Along the way, he will meet hardships out of his control.

Though only spanning the first couple chapters, the visa interview process and repeated visits to the immigration office mean long lines and high anxiety for Ekong. He has meticulously prepared all the necessary documents, including backups—just in case. The interview begins with odd questions about whether he plans to commit a crime, “Unlike your compatriots, you’re not going to America to fill up the prisons are you?” He is asked which tribe he is from and whether he can prove it actually exists. The interviewer ends up denying his request on the grounds that he was unable to prove he would not return to Nigeria; although, she never directly asked him questions regarding this. He is informed to reapply. The whole interaction lasted only four minutes, and leaves the reader feeling angry and confused on his behalf.

Ekong arrives in August of 2016, but feels no “relief” after the very rocky road in getting there. He gets to his Times Square apartment, which is described as a bit worse for wear with gaps in the windows, beat up dining chairs, and a small kitchen. He checks in with Molly, his NYC publisher supervisor, over the phone and then the man from whom he will sublease. Both Americans attempt to show how angry they are with the immigration officers, but it is he who ends up consoling them. While he seems to have some supportive white people around him, Ekong is placed in positions where he often comforts and reassures others.

He is weary of working alongside so many white people though his reception was welcoming. He talks more with his new colleagues and notices they, “had carefully digested what they read about Nigeria,” and expressed that they wanted to try Nigerian food, which pleases him. He, “knew they were genuinely interested in [his] background... [his] face looked happy and fresh and relaxed.” He also gets to know Molly a bit more. She has worked for many publishers and gives him the advice that relationships are everything. Though this seems like sound advice, it is apparent that there are more barriers for some people to initiate and build these relationships, as both parties must be receptive.

There are several observations he makes about his life in Nigeria versus New York. While grocery shopping, he comments the yams are much smaller than in Nigeria, and the next day when he gets dressed for mass, his traditional Nigerian clothing induces him to trip while going down the stairs. He must don western clothes to accommodate his surroundings, dampening his mood. While at St Patrick's Cathedral, he reflects it is too grand for him, too imposing, and too traditional. The people there seem to be, “moping at the altar,” and he does not want to return.

There are strong themes of both blatant and subtle racism, inequity, and bias. Many of the interactions Ekong has with people leaves him confused and angry. There are two men, one white and one of Asian descent, living in his building. Despite his greeting, they ignore him. He comments that the city is diverse: “New Yorkers and their tourists came in all manner of colors and races and sizes and clothing and languages. It was intense.” But, the diversity does not seem to be celebrated. He thinks back to his two neighbors and worries that he perhaps greeted them incorrectly, again, giving the other party the benefit of the doubt. After entering his building, he meets another African man who greets him, making him feel better. This man, Keith, tells Ekong that those two men were talking about him earlier and they seemed angry about his presence. Ekong is warned to keep his head down, but ultimately he resolves to confront them.

Ekong collides with the systems and procedures in place at the publishing company. At his first staff meeting, everyone seems consumed with a book that he believes has huge flaws. However, everyone else insists that an acquisition bid is important. He realizes this is probably the first time they have ever held book deliberations with a black person in the room—he feels cautious and uncomfortable. As for the book he supports, the marketing team does not support a bid. Instead, they encourage Emily, a white staffer, to write a memoir about her experience on the topic at hand, which again makes the reader feel indignant on Ekong’s behalf. He offers to edit Emily’s memoir if it comes to fruition, but the marketing team shoots him down again, saying it would be difficult for him, since he is not familiar with the American southern culture. He points out that they have been editing African writing, which causes an awkward silence.

Beyond theme, symbolism is a large literary component in this novel. The author describes the physical spaces—his apartment, his office, and the buildings as a whole—which mirror Ekong’s feelings. Specifically, after his first day, he looks back up at the skyscraper and compares it to, “a stranger smiling at me behind dark glasses.” The intimidation created by the building’s appearance is only amplified with the intimidation he feels within its walls. There are also issues with insects in his apartment that keep him itchy and irritated throughout his stay. Eventually, he becomes irritated to the point of paranoia, staying up through the night in an attempt to find relief.

The novel has its lighthearted moments, and Ekong does sometimes manage to have positive experiences. He visits the Bronx to see a childhood friend and immediately loves it for its diversity and atmosphere. When he arrives at his friend's home, he is in awe of how beautiful their unit is. His friend’s daughter forms an attachment to him, calling him her uncle, and asks him about Nigeria. Despite the marketing team, his overall experience with most of his coworkers was also positive; he appreciates Molly when she asks about his background and Emily makes an effort to hang out with him outside of work.

Ultimately, this story is about a man’s journey into a harsh and unfamiliar country, where he learns the jarring truths about prevailing racism in a seemingly progressive city. It is a powerful tool for anyone to reflect upon their own experiences and interactions with people from different places.

New York, My Village by Uwem Akpan, published in 2021 by W.W. Norton & Company. 416 pages

Katy Mitchell-Jones is originally from a small town in Washington state and graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with her BA and MA. She then headed to Boston to teach high school English but has since returned to her west coast roots. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, Tana French, and Glendy Vanderah. She has published three short stories with Chipper Press, for middle-grades. You can follow her on Goodreads here.

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

November 10, 2022

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk (review by Katy Mitchell-Jones)

At an unnamed Toronto university, Liesl, the middle-aged protagonist, tries to fill the shoes of her boss who is on medical leave. After the disorganized but well-loved library director Christopher suffers a stroke and lies unconscious in a hospital, Liesl steps in, much to the disappointment of her colleagues. Despite her hard work over the years, Liesl has taken a quiet back seat approach to her work, while Christopher reaped the rewards. The story begins with Liesl attempting to open a safe in Christopher’s office, while the university president nervously stands by, hoping to confirm that the newest acquisition to the library’s collection is indeed safe.

Upon finally opening the vault, she sees it is empty, and the acquisition is missing. Was it stolen? Or simply misshelved? No matter what happened to it, everyone gives her a hard time, and everyone, including the university president, urges her not to go to the police. The police would, she is told, bring bad press and they would lose donor money if they are perceived as irresponsible. This novel subtly illustrates the bureaucracy of big institutions, and how little people in leadership positions actually have very little power. Like many of us, Liesl finds herself in a situation with responsibilities that she simply does not know how to begin or even process, which causes her to think twice about who she trusts.

To add to Liesl’s stress, one of her colleagues goes missing shortly thereafter. Did this colleague have anything to do with the disappearance of the very expensive acquisition? Or is someone just trying to make it appear this way? Liesl doubts there was any foul-play, and suspects her colleague simply requested time off prior to her tenancy as interim director, and that Christopher did not note it down. However, as readers, we know that something is out of place, and we must wait until Liesl and her colleagues uncover the truth.

It is impossible not to consider which employee is behind the theft and disappearance. Was it Mariam, who acts oddly and avoids spending time with Liesl? Or Francis, her best friend at work, who urges her not to involve the police? Her husband even agrees she should not call, and it should be reported to the university president first. Or was it Christopher’s wife, the one who provided the safe’s combination? Perhaps it was the ex-priest, who was banished from his church after his involvement with stealing church money? The list of suspects is not short, and no one is immune to being on it.

Though these disappearances are the main focus of the story, there is another plotline about a newly hired math professor, who wants to carbon date a famous bible the library houses. Liesl is apprehensive of this request, as she has other things on her mind and doesn't want any damage inflicted on the text. Liesl’s relationship with this professor begins on uncertain terms, as she doesn’t know who she can trust not only with expensive library artifacts, but with her own thoughts. She must constantly think about what Christopher would do in these situations and deal with the reactions of her colleagues, who seem disappointed no matter what she decides. As the story progresses, we see Liesl come into her own, as she begins to have more confidence in her decision making ability.

Her relationships outside of work are also portrayed as somewhat rocky; her husband suffers from depression and though he has been in good moods lately, Liesl knows this can change any day. A prior affair with a colleague is also alluded to more than once, and as readers, we are uncertain about the specifics of what her husband knows. Additionally, though she has a good relationship with her daughter Hannah, Hannah spends less and less time around the house and seems to take her father’s side on anything that comes up.

Some of the best moments in this read come from the dry humor that Jurczyk uses in Liesl’s thoughts and observations. Liesl comments she would enjoy the campus more if there were not so many undergraduates around, and that she worries when a young English professor waves a croissant too close to a Shakespeare first folio. Additionally, the university president, who carries his bike helmet in the opening chapter, is in the process of training for a marathon and consistently complains about sore muscles while snacking on trail mix. This inner commentary offers some comedic relief, but is also very relatable for the reader, as they come naturally and are quick quips.

Overall this novel portrayed a believable and authentic voice of a protagonist who is close to retirement age. This book will be a five-star read to those of us who enjoy libraries, academia, and slow-medium paced reads with dry humor. While this book is not necessarily a suspense-filled thriller, you will become determined to figure out what happened to the missing text and in the lives of the characters.

published in 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press. 352 pages.