Mattaponi Queen
Belle Boggs
May 2010
225 pages
Published by Graywolf Press (I received a copy for review at BEA…thank you Graywolf!)
This is a collection of loosely related short stories. There is an occasional character that will reappear, but the stories are mostly connected through location. They all take place on or near the Mattaponi River in King and Queen County, Virginia, or feature characters from the area.
I’m not usually a fan of short stories (I’m often confused by them, and also, I confess that I find it hard to write a post about a book of short stories), but this is a wonderful collection. It offers snapshots of ordinary people’s lives, as they face hardship, death, and choices.
Some stories, such as “Homecoming,” are haunting. A young boy moves to the South to live with his granny after his mother ends up in jail for selling drugs. Marcus has a bright future, yet he is soon faced with the very choices that his parents had to make. This was one of the longer stories, at a little over 40 pages, and I spent almost every page dreading the decisions that Marcus seemed poised to make.
Other stories, such as “Opportunity” and “It Won’t Be Long,” are reflective, with characters that look back at their lives and the choices they’ve made. Yet, we also get to listen in as they ponder the choices they’re considering.
Skinny is a character that pops in multiple stories. Skinny has been dying of hepatitis C for years, he’s addicted to painkillers and beer, and he has a crappy relationship with his children. We see his flaws and bad decisions in “It Won’t Be Long.” Yet, he’s a heck of a nice guy. He’s there as a father figure in Marcus’s story, and he wanders in and out of a few others.
One of the final stories, “Shelter,” shows how the South can look more appealing once you are no longer there. After George and Nikki move to Washington D.C. for opportunity and a better life, George is surprised by how often Nikki throws up “Down South” as a better place.
Many of the stories are told from the first-person point of view, or we are privy to so many of the character’s thoughts that it feels like it. The stories are personal and intriguing and the entire collection packs a punch. Even if you’re not really into short stories (like me), I’d recommend this one.
The Spotlight Series Tour for Graywolf Press is running July 18-31, 2010. Graywolf Press was founded by Scott Walker in 1974. It took six months to print the first book from Graywolf Press, a book of poetry. Since then they’ve gone on to publish memoirs, short stories and novels.
I had a friend in college who was from Mattaponi – I should read this in honor of him.
LOVE the funky cover.
Care´s last [type] ..The Samurai’s Garden
I am always looking for a good short story collection in an effort to get more acquainted with the genre. This one sounds like it has several good stories in it, so I will have to see if I can grab a copy from the library. Thanks for the great review!
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I saw this one reviewed on another blog yesterday (brain fart, can’t remember which one), and I loooove the cover. Love it. I’m also a fan of short stories, so it sounds like a good one to try.
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I have a hard time with short stories too but these ones sound related enough to not bother me.
Thanks for participating!
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I like short stories but reviewing them is often quite a hassle. That sure is a busy looking cover!
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I don’t know why, but that cover really freaks me out. Like, seriously.
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Not a real big fan of short stories either – I always seem to want to know more…. the cover of this one though is awesome!
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I think you did a fine job reviewing this actually … you made me want to read it. (I’m a recent fan of short stories after discovering what Jhumpa Lahiri can do with them!)
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The cover is eye-catching, that’s for sure! Seems like an interesting short story collection — it’s been a while since I’ve read Southern fiction (although I’ve just started “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan — not sure yet if that counts).
I also have a hard time doing blog posts about short story collections!
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I enjoy short stories, so this is definitely something that I’m going to have to pick up when I come across it — much appreciated for this post!
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I want to buy this for the cover alone! Read it …and then frame it!
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When a non-short story person (like me too) recommends a collection, I take notice!
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I don’t know how I missed this one at BEA! I feel the same way about you in terms of short stories. I really like reading them, as long as I’m in the right frame of mind. But I find them really hard to write about. I’d like to get into them more, so then I can be one of those smart people that compares an author’s stories and styles…but I just don’t read them often enough.
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I’m starting to really get into short stories. Granted, I think I’ll always enjoy a full length novel MORE, I still can really get into short story collections. And I love the cover of this one.
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I’ve seen some really good reviews of this one now; I definitely want to get my hands on it.
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