Official Review: What Nell Dreams by Anne Leigh Parrish

[Twylla]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "What Nell Dreams" by Anne Leigh Parrish.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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What Nell Dreams by Anne Leigh Parrish is a collection of sixteen short stories and a novella about moments of melancholy and loss in people’s lives. In the story “Picture This”, a frustrated painter is living in a creaky little house on the coast of Maine with his wife. He is desperately trying to find that perfect combination of brush strokes and color. As he finishes the seascape he is currently working on, he paints his wife into the picture. She is facing the ocean but looking back at him. Everything came together. This is the painting. But then he faces his moment of loss.

In the short story with the same name as the book, "What Nell Dreams", the days of the week seem to be used as metaphysical symbolism. Monday represents the Moon and Emotion, “On Monday, it's about a horse.” Tuesday represents Mars and Aggression, “Tuesday, her sister beats her with a riding crop.” This story reads more like poetry.

Infidelity is the theme of “Shelter.” Cara is in a relationship that is wearing thin, and she finds shelter in the arms of Jackson, a casual friend.

In “Here’s Why”, a very tall girl was treated like a “freak” for most of her life because of her height. Even after she grows up, she never gets past those self-esteem issues.

In the “Collector of Sorrows”, Nora collects people’s sorrows. She can even change sorrow into a stone.

In “Moonlight on the Bay”, the artist, a very sick old man in a wheelchair, allows Celia to put the final touch on a very special painting and, in doing so, he passes the baton to her.

The crown jewel of this collection is the novella, “Mavis Muldoon”, an octogenarian with a giving heart. She likes to find a spot where she can roost for the day and bird-watch or just contemplate life. On this day, she chooses the parking lot at the local Food Mart.

The characters are skillfully developed as Mavis reflects on her life. Her late husband, Glen, was a mechanic who always worried about money. Glen died in the middle of a brake job when he was 62 years old. He never wanted to be a father, but he adored his son, Franklin.

Franklin was a pilot, and he died in an airplane accident, but there was no apparent cause. Mavis is still haunted by the possibility that he decided to do himself in that day. He was not a happy person, but he was able to hide it. “She thought of Franklin, his love of football, lacrosse, field hockey, and being on the track team. All that running was just an attempted escape from the sorrow he was born with, the sorrow she must somehow have given him.”

I admire Mavis’s perspective on life. Mavis knows she is on her way out. She also knows that life is a constant process of transformations from one stage to the next, and she is getting ready for the next big metamorphosis.

My favorite part of this story is Mavis’s interactions with people who passed through the Food Mart parking lot. She took the time to talk to a 13-year-old girl named Leslie who was dealing with a bad situation at home. She gave a homeless man named Jackie money for food and watched his pet ferret, Katy, while he left to get something to eat. He came back an hour later smelling like cheap beer. A young couple asked her if she had any coins she could spare. She handed the young man her purse and told him to take five dollars.

The central characters throughout the book are women. Many of the stories deal with infidelity, sadness, or loss. The first time I read through the book, I didn’t love it because there were so many things that were left unresolved in the stories. But the second and third time I read it, I understood that things were intentionally left unresolved to create tension by making the reader constantly ask questions. I love the beauty of the language and the raw honesty of the stories. I can't name one thing I didn't like about this book. Most of the short stories in this collection have a heavy mood of despair and sadness, so it is not a light read, but it is worthwhile.

I am giving What Nell Dreams a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. This book is well written and exceptionally edited. I didn’t find any errors. I would recommend this book to women who enjoy smart, memorable short stories.

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What Nell Dreams
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[Gabrielle Sigaki]

This book seems to be beautiful, dealing with sorrow and grief is difficult, I'm interested to see how the author developed this subject. Thanks for the great review!

[skylarjacobsen]

This book was thought-provoking and engaging through and through. Deeply emotional and relatable to every reader. Would recommend

[Samwisekoop]

I love the ties of poetry that seem to be in this book. I love compilations of stories. Though it can be frustrating that many of the stories are left unresolved, that incompletion echoes humanity and our lives. Sometimes, we don't always know how it is going to end, or if we will see the garden after we sow it. I love that this book deals with such sorrows in a seemingly bitterly beautiful way. Thank you for your review, though a bit lengthy, it was very informative!! Well done!

[emlovs]

Not every author knows how to truly show humanity in the form of a book. But this definitely deserves an A+

[sirbobthewise]

Oh, I have such a love/hate relationship with that tension of unresolved stories. But then again, that is quite like life. I can feel that you really enjoyed Mavis’ character, and given your description, I can definitely see myself falling for her as well. It’s amazing what can happen when we just sit, observe, and act in accordance with kindness to those observations. There are always chances for kindness if we take the time to pay attention, and I think we can get that from Mavis. Great review!

[Ballbender]

The author put on a masterpiece in this book. The Writer tells us about a frustrated painter. The characters are well developed in this book. The review is enjoyable.

[Nisha Ward]

Are the stories about the painter and Celia connected? They sound like they might be.

It's an interesting concept and each story sounds like quite the tale to witness.

[Priyanka2304]

This book seems to me as a mix of emotions. The review was wonderful. I would definitely give the book a read someday.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

I love novellas, and this one sounds like it has a little bit of everything! Thanks for the fantastic review.

[Brigitte Gallegos]

Very interesting book the way you describe it. As someone else said, I like a dislike it when stories leave me with unanswered questions. I will definitely consider giving it a try after reading your thorough review.

[Phelicia Gloria]

Every story here seems interesting, though I don't like short stories, I'll give this one a try,"Moonlight on the bay", seems to fit me most, it's a must read for me. Great review

[Pluma]

I like the sound of these unique short stories and the author’s writing style. A good short story can be very touching if it is executed well, which it sounds like these are. Thanks for the great review!

[shamayelnur]

Your review was very engaging. This book seems to have a great collection of stories which is worth enjoying. I feel reading this we can connect to the character and the story.

[Bibliogn0st]

The book sounds really beautiful. I love how the days of the week are used as metaphysical symbols. I would like to give this book a try. Thank you for your engaging review.