Grief is a Thing With Feathers; Max Porter
GrayWolf Press - 2016
Grief is a Thing With Feathers is a work of fiction, a short novella that takes place in London. The story opens a few days after a man, with young twin sons has lost his wife. The cause of her death is not disclosed but, her death was quick and unexpected.
The father, a Ted Hughes scholar, is deep with despair and unable to work. The young boys are dealing with their own sadness, sometimes without the supervision that they need. Just when things seem they can't get much darker, the three are visited by "Crow" whose purpose is to watch over the grieving. Crow finds humans dull, except when they are grieving, and he plans to stick around until he is no longer needed by this threesome.
I found this novella somewhat complex, much like grief. The POV shifts between the father, sons and Crow and, the narrative consists of both observations and pieces of poetry. Of course, Crow had the biggest impact declaring early on, " I won't leave you until you don't need me anymore." If you are poetry lover you may be reminded of Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope is a Thing With Feathers." It was refreshing to see Crow's efforts a success as the father and his sons begin to heal.
If you are looking for something different to read, something that will make you think give this novella a try.
3.5/5 stars
(eGalley)
