annethology
  • Home
    • About Annethology
    • About me >
      • A little more about me
    • About my books
    • Author talks
    • Contact me
    • Forthcoming events
    • World Mental Health Day
    • Privacy
    • Sign up for my newsletter
  • First two novels
    • Sugar and Snails >
      • Acknowledgements
      • Blog tour, Q&A's and feature articles >
        • Birthday blog tour
        • S&S on tour 2022
      • Early endorsements
      • Events >
        • Launch photos
        • Launch party videos
      • in pictures
      • Media
      • If you've read the book
      • Polari
      • Reading group questions
      • Reviews
      • In the media
    • Underneath >
      • Endorsements and reviews
      • Launch party and events
      • Pictures
      • Questions for book groups
      • The stories underneath the novel
  • Matilda Windsor series
    • The accidental series
    • Matilda Windsor >
      • What readers say
      • For book groups
      • Interviews, articles and features
      • Matty on the move
      • Who were you in 1990?
      • Asylum lit
      • Matilda Windsor media
    • Stolen Summers >
      • Stolen Summers reviews
    • Lyrics for the Loved Ones
  • Short stories
    • Somebody’s Daughter
    • Becoming Someone (anthology) >
      • Becoming Someone (video readings)
      • Becoming Someone reviews
      • Becoming Someone online book chat
    • Print and downloads
    • Read it online
    • Quick reads
  • Free ebook
  • Annecdotal
    • Annecdotal blog
    • Annecdotal Press
    • Articles >
      • Print journalism
      • Where psychology meets fiction
    • Fictional therapists
    • Reading and reviews >
      • Reviews A to H
      • Reviews I to M
      • Reviews N to Z
      • Nonfiction
      • Themed quotes
      • Reading around the world
  • Shop
    • Inspired Quill (my publisher)
    • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
    • Amazon UK
    • Amazon US
    • books2read
  • Main site

Welcome

I started this blog in 2013 to share my reflections on reading, writing and psychology, along with my journey to become a published novelist.​  I soon graduated to about twenty book reviews a month and a weekly 99-word story. Ten years later, I've transferred my writing / publication updates to my new website but will continue here with occasional reviews and flash fiction pieces, and maybe the odd personal post.

ANNE GOODWIN'S WRITING NEWS

Finding Fiction in the Cracks: A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray and a 99-word Flash

4/8/2014

8 Comments

 
If fiction thrives on strong emotion and conflict, Carys Bray’s debut novel, about what happens to a Mormon family after their youngest member dies, has all the right ingredients. Grief, while painful to experience, is a powerful launching pad for fiction and, as Derbhile Dromey commented in response to my post on religion and the right to die debate, religion channels conflict in believer and unbeliever alike.

Review of A Song For Issy Bradley

Picture
While four-year-old Issy Bradley is languishing in bed with undiagnosed meningitis, her mother, Claire, is shopping in Asda for affordable party food. Issy’s father, Ian, bishop of the local congregation, is out doing good works for the community and her big sister, Zippy, is lost in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Of her two brothers, seven-year-old Jacob, is swallowing his disappointment that his dad won’t be able to attend his birthday party and teenager Alma is looking for an escape route so he can go off and play football. When Issy dies, the family’s religious faith proves to be both a source of consolation and pain. The future focus, with the belief that the family will be reunited in eternity, is reassuring for Ian, as he keeps up his church duties, unaware of how much he is neglecting his family and exhausting himself. Claire, who, unlike the other Bradleys, did not grow up as a Mormon but converted when she met Ian, has always found comfort in the sense of order and obedience to a higher power, now feels deserted by God:

There is something intoxicating about the subjugation of the self. She feels it every month on Fast Sundays when her brain, high in the nutrient-free atmosphere at the summit of her body, becomes airy, almost weightless – by the time she has gone twenty-four hours without food or water it feels as if she could step outside herself and float all the way up to heaven. She feels similarly buoyant whenever she is required to be obedient to an incomprehensible commandment; there is something horribly appealing about the idea that someone – God, a prophet, Ian – knows exactly what is best and if she obeys their dictates with exactness everything will come right. She has practised obedience as a precaution up to this point, as a means of ensuring everything will turn out all right in the end. But things can never turn out right now. (p291)

When she takes to her bed – or, rather, her deceased daughter’s small bunkbed – her husband feels both embarrassed and confused: his church has no place for grief. Meanwhile, the three remaining children are deprived of the parental attention they so desperately need. The youngest, Jacob conducts experiments with dead birds and insects to pave the way for the miracle that will bring back his sister:

‘Dear Heavenly Father. I have faith that you can resurrect the bird. This is a real prayer. It’s not like asking for a bike or something, it’s important. When you resurrect the bird, I will have even more faith. And then there can be even better miracles. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.’ (p134)

Alma struggles to balance his own aspirations with his immersion in a culture that portrays his beloved football as an irrelevant distraction while grooming him for the obligatory two years as a missionary when he leaves school at eighteen. Meanwhile, love-struck Ziggy prepares for her gender-determined future role as homemaker in a bizarre ceremony in which teenage girls parade in their mothers’ wedding dresses and write shopping lists for their ideal husbands.

A Song for Issy Bradley is a moving and unexpectedly amusing portrayal of bereavement and religious belief that I can wholeheartedly recommend. Thanks to Charlotte Bush at Hutchinson for my review copy. Thanks also to the author for submitting to my debut novelist Q&A – do pop along there for an insight into her writing process, her feelings for her characters and writing from her own experience.

 Finding Fiction in the Cracks

Meanwhile, I’ve been reflecting on the latest post from Charli Mills on mining her creativity from the gaps, cracks and contradictions in the historical records in conjunction with my own ongoing quest to use my reading to learn how to write. I hear the advice to nail my characters’ motivation and to thwart them on their quest to fulfil their desires, but it doesn’t tally with my experience as a reader. It strikes me that A Song for Issy Bradley can be conceived as a novel about cracks: cracks that occur at the level of the individual, the family system and the wider community.

Claire has married Ian, not because he’s the person who can make her most herself, but because his religion means he’ll never leave her the way her father left her mother. Ian cannot envisage that she would have opinions of her own, independent of the diktats of their creed:

‘We don’t do this, Claire.’
‘Don’t tell me what “we” do.’
‘Well, we don’t.’
‘I want to.’
‘We concentrate on the resurrection. That’s why we don’t have crosses everywhere. I shouldn’t have to tell you, you know this – the empty tomb, that’s what we think about, not the body left behind.’
‘Stop telling me what to do.’
‘I’m not, I’m trying to explain –‘ (p158)

The unforeseen death of their youngest child brings out the cracks in their marriage and in the religion that has otherwise sustained them. Claire discovers that some emotions cannot be contained within the Mormon church.

Everyday life is full of cracks that have been papered over, weaknesses and gaps in ourselves and our situations that circumstances enable us to ignore. It turns into a story when those cracks begin to show. The story develops through the widening of the cracks until a crisis point is reached and something has to give. The crack might arise through a mismatch between what a character wants and what the world can deliver, but it doesn’t have to be so.


Crack Flash


Before I go off to look for more fiction in the cracks, I’ll leave you with Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem” which has a great line about cracks ... and my response to Charli’s latest flash fiction challenge:



That long jagged one above her dressing table is like the Amalfi Coast where they went on honeymoon. Where he cheated on her the first time. The short straight one above the window reminds her of the Caesarean scar from the baby they made when he promised not to hurt her again. That one branching like a tree evokes his other family, his secret second wife whose children do not die.
So much time she’s wasted alone in bed staring at the cracks in ceiling. Dreaming, not thinking, not daring to wonder why her man was so late home.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to your comments on any aspect of this post.
Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
8 Comments
geoff link
4/8/2014 02:26:17 pm

Well that is a great review and recommendation; on my list. And your flash tells us so much in so little space. 'whose children do not die'. Not even a chink of light to give her hope.

Reply
Charli Mills
4/8/2014 04:40:22 pm

Another great review of Carys Bray’s debut novel. Enjoyed her Q&A with you, too and her admission that she is both a pantser and a planner. Ultimately, as we share processes, it's important to know yourself as a writer--or at least to take time to try and discover such. Interesting that she used five different narrative perspectives to tell the story. Sometimes I find that a clunky read, but the snippets you shared look like she's a smooth, compelling writer.

What a great line in "Anthem" about how the light gets in, although Cohen's voice started me at first, so deep!

This is a powerful flash, Anne. The character, pairing cracks on the ceiling to those in her life, as she languishes abed in her despair. It's a terrific stand-alone, but makes me wonder how you could use it as a launching point for a crisis that takes her beyond this lackluster life of hers. If the cracks let the light in, what elixir does she find in the abyss?

Terrific post!

Reply
Ruchira link
4/8/2014 11:33:48 pm

Loved your take on this, Anne

Reply
Irene Waters link
5/8/2014 08:10:48 pm

A fantastic flash Anne. Comparing the cracks to times in her life works well and creates a great visual and emotive picture. I have also put the book on my to read list thanks to your review.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
6/8/2014 05:15:34 am

Brilliant flash Anne! I don't know how you put so much anguish and pain - of a whole lifetime, almost - in so few sentences. It is very powerful. Thanks also for linking to Leonard Cohen's "Anthem". I hadn't heard it before and it is very beautiful. I especially appreciated being able to read along with the words as I may have missed some of the meaning otherwise. That a crack lets the light in (as in Charli's flash, but perhaps a different kind of light?) is a beautiful line. Your review of "A Song for Issy Bradley" makes it sound enticing reading. You have a great way of getting to the grist of a story.

Reply
Annecdotist
7/8/2014 06:44:09 am

Thanks very much for your comments. Apologies for the group response but still trying to catch up on my blogigations. Glad you enjoyed the different elements in this post.
Regarding the different voices in Issy Bradley I think one of the reasons it works so well is that they are all covering similar territory, albeit through their own personalities. Reminds me of a classic The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, another novel told from different points of view of a family steeped in religion.
I love Leonard Cohen's music, although some find him a bit dreary and he's ripe for satirisation, but that line has always jumped out at me.
As for the woman in my flash, in my head she is very close to her husband moving out which is the point at which the light will get into the crack and she'll start living her own life. I did try to get this into the flash because I think it's better with a bit of forward movement as well as reflection on the past, but ran out of words!

Reply
Deborah Lee link
15/3/2017 02:51:22 am

I *love* this flash. So heartbreaking.

I recently discovered Barbara Kingsolver via Prodigal Summer, which I loved. I can't wait to read the rest of her books. I adore Leonard Cohen, too. :-)

Reply
Annecdotist
15/3/2017 05:53:58 pm

Thanks Deborah, you clearly have good taste!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Free ebook: click the image to claim yours.
    Picture
    Available now
    Picture
    The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home
    Picture
    Find a review
    Picture
    Fictional therapists
    Picture
    Picture
    About Anne Goodwin
    Picture
    My published books
    entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice
    Picture
    My third novel, published May 2021
    Picture
    My debut novel shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize
    Picture
    Picture
    My second novel published May 2017.
    Picture
    Short stories on the theme of identity published 2018
    Anne Goodwin's books on Goodreads
    Sugar and Snails Sugar and Snails
    reviews: 32
    ratings: 52 (avg rating 4.21)

    Underneath Underneath
    reviews: 24
    ratings: 60 (avg rating 3.17)

    Becoming Someone Becoming Someone
    reviews: 8
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.56)

    GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4 GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4
    reviews: 4
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.44)

    The Best of Fiction on the Web The Best of Fiction on the Web
    reviews: 3
    ratings: 3 (avg rating 4.67)

    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Anne has read 2 books toward their goal of 100 books.
    hide
    2 of 100 (2%)
    view books
    Picture
    Annecdotal is where real life brushes up against the fictional.  
    Picture
    Annecdotist is the blogging persona of Anne Goodwin: 
    reader, writer,

    slug-slayer, tramper of moors, 
    recovering psychologist, 
    struggling soprano, 
    author of three fiction books.

    LATEST POSTS HERE
    I don't post to a schedule, but average  around ten reviews a month (see here for an alphabetical list), 
    some linked to a weekly flash fiction, plus posts on my WIPs and published books.  

    Your comments are welcome any time any where.

    Get new posts direct to your inbox ...

    Enter your email address:

    or click here …

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Tweets by @Annecdotist
    Picture
    New short story, “My Dirty Weekend”
    Picture
    Let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my newsletter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular posts

    • Compassion: something we all need
    • Do spoilers spoil?
    • How to create a convincing fictional therapist
    • Instructions for a novel
    • Looking at difference, embracing diversity
    • Never let me go: the dilemma of lending books
    • On loving, hating and writers’ block
      On Pop, Pirates and Plagiarism
    • READIN' for HER reviews
    • Relishing the cuts
    • The fast first draft
    • The tragedy of obedience
    • Writers and therapy: a love-hate relationship?

    Categories/Tags

    All
    Animals
    Annecdotist Hosts
    Annecdotist On Tour
    Articles
    Attachment Theory
    Author Interviews
    Becoming Someone
    Being A Writer
    Blogging
    Bodies
    Body
    Bookbirthday
    Books For Writers
    Bookshops
    CB Book Group
    Character
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Classics
    Climate Crisis
    Coming Of Age
    Counsellors Cafe
    Creative Writing Industry
    Creativity
    Cumbria
    Debut Novels
    Disability
    Editing
    Emotion
    Ethics
    Ethis
    Family
    Feedback And Critiques
    Fictional Psychologists & Therapists
    Food
    Friendship
    Futuristic
    Gender
    Genre
    Getting Published
    Giveaways
    Good Enough
    Grammar
    Gratitude
    Group/organisational Dynamics
    Hero’s Journey
    History
    Humour
    Identity
    Illness
    Independent Presses
    Institutions
    International Commemorative Day
    Jane Eyre
    Kidney Disease
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Live Events
    Lyrics For The Loved Ones
    Marketing
    Matilda Windsor
    Memoir
    Memory
    Mental Health
    Microfiction
    Motivation
    Music
    MW Prequel
    Names
    Narrative Voice
    Nature / Gardening
    Networking
    Newcastle
    Nonfiction
    Nottingham
    Novels
    Pandemic
    Peak District
    Perfect Match
    Poetry
    Point Of View
    Politics
    Politics Current Affairs
    Presentation
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Psychoanalytic Theory
    Psychology
    Psycholoists Write
    Psychotherapy
    Race
    Racism
    Rants
    Reading
    Real Vs Imaginary
    Religion
    Repetitive Strain Injury
    Research
    Reviewing
    Romance
    Satire
    Second Novels
    Settings
    Sex
    Shakespeare
    Short Stories General
    Short Stories My Published
    Short Stories Others'
    Siblings
    Snowflake
    Somebody's Daughter
    Stolen Summers
    Storytelling
    Structure
    Sugar And Snails
    Technology
    The
    The Guestlist
    Therapy
    TikTok
    TNTB
    Toiletday
    Tourism
    Toxic Positivity
    Transfiction
    Translation
    Trauma
    Unconscious
    Unconscious, The
    Underneath
    Voice Recognition Software
    War
    WaSBihC
    Weather
    Work
    Writing Process
    Writing Technique

    Archives

    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    March 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Picture
    BLOGGING COMMUNITIES
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from havens.michael34, romana klee, mrsdkrebs, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., adam & lucy, dluders, Joybot, Hammer51012, jorgempf, Sherif Salama, eyspahn, raniel diaz, E. E. Piphanies, scaredofbabies, Nomadic Lass, paulternate, Tony Fischer Photography, archer10 (Dennis), slightly everything, impbox, jonwick04, country_boy_shane, dok1, Out.of.Focus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Elvert Barnes, guillenperez, Richard Perry, jamesnaruke, Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, El Tuerto, kona99, maveric2003, !anaughty!, Patrick Denker, David Davies, hamilcar_south, idleformat, Dave Goodman, Sharon Mollerus, photosteve101, La Citta Vita, A Girl With Tea, striatic, carlosfpardo, Damork, Elvert Barnes, UNE Photos, jurvetson, quinn.anya, BChristensen93, Joelk75, ashesmonroe, albertogp123, >littleyiye<, mudgalbharat, Swami Stream, Dicemanic, lovelihood, anyjazz65, Tjeerd, albastrica mititica, jimmiehomeschoolmom, joshtasman, tedeytan, striatic, goforchris, torbakhopper, maggibautista, andreboeni, snigl3t, rainy city, frankieleon