The Tiny Wife; Andrew Kaufman
2011 - The Friday Project
I can't recall which blogger mentioned how much they loved this book, but I did purchase it (and it wasn't easy to find) when they mentioned it. Of course this is one of those books that I bought and then it sat on my shelf a few years unread. Well all that changed on recent snow day, and I'm so happy I finally read it. It's a charming, imaginative fable-like novella, complete with illustrations.
One day a flamboyantly dressed bank robber walks into a Canadian bank. He's not looking to rob the bank or hurt the (13) victims, instead he asks each person to surrender the one item in their possession that has the greatest sentimental value for them. One person gives him a picture of their small children, another a cheap watch, one give a book, another a calculator and so on. The robber then says, "Listen, I'm in a bit of a rush, so let me conclude. When I leave here, I will be taking 51 percent of your souls with me. This will have strange and bizarre consequences in your lives. But more importantly, and I mean this quite literally, learn how to grow them back, or you will die."
Almost immediately the victims lives begin to fall apart. The woman who surrendered her calculator literally begins to shrink :the tiny wife". A man turns into a snowman, a baby begins to poop paper bills, and more.
The Tiny Wife is a short, touching and thought provoking tale that engages and entertains, and it's also a story that makes the reader think about what they consider most precious to them. Less than 100 page, it's one of those rare books that made me wish the story was longer when I turned the final page. Try this one -- I think you'll be glad you did.
4.5/5 stars
(personal copy)
