"The Unsuspecting Nature of Grief" by Jessica Phillips
- debo9967
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Re: "The Unsuspecting Nature of Grief" by Jessica Phillips
- Lovely_Loreley
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Yes! I think short stories can often be so much more powerful simply due to the fact that they can convey so much in so few words. And any story that makes me think, especially ones that do so because they make me uncomfortable, is so much better than a story or a character that I can agree with from the start.Michelle-lit wrote:I loved how uncomfortable this story made me feel. I think that is one property that good short stories have; they bring you so far out of your comfort zone that they force you to think. The writing style felt smooth and flawless. My mind completely escaped into this woman's wife and was not distracted by over wordy sentences or flowery language.
Also, I love the quote that this story was based on. I've never heard it before, but I'm definitely writing it down and saving it for later!
- Momlovesbooks
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- avid reader28
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Well, it was a well- written story.
- bookowlie
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Good point! I agree that there's no normal way to react to this type of situation. Although the actions of the main character made me uncomfortable, the story was thought-provoking. I also thought the title was very appropriate.avid reader28 wrote:Well, it was a twisty fun read, I related to the story in more of a personal way, one of my closest friends is very similar to the protagonist and I always thought it was somehow unnatural to react that way to a situation that most people would seek revenge after, but I've experienced alot of stuff since then and I understood that there's no " normal " way to react to un-normal situation.
Well, it was a well- written story.
- calfurshoney
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Who knows what we would do in this situation. I would hope I wouldnt take a killer into my home but who knows if I would if I ever got this lonely!
I was suspicious from the start but had no idea that it would end like it did! Talk about holding onto a grudge! Bullying is never good and can hurt and haunt people for years!
Jessica Phillips did a great job writing this and I look forward to reading more from her!
- bluemel4
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In 1993 Mary Johnson's son was killed by 16-year-old Oshea Israel. But as Oshea served his 17-year prison sentence, Mary felt an urge to meet Israel face-to-face to see whether she could forgive him. Remarkably, she did and now Israel and Johnson are not only good friends, but take their message of forgiveness to churches, prisons, and to whoever would listen.
(http://list25.com/25-unbelievable-inspi ... iveness/5/)
- JessP25
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Wow, I actually didn't know a similar scenario happened in real life, thanks for the info! I based the story around the idea of restorative justice programmes in general, knowing they can help to reduce PTSD in victims.Kappy wrote:I also found the premise a little hard to believe, but in a compelling way that made me want to continue reading. If you did enough research, however, you might find a very similar factual scenario in real life. It took me just a few minutes to find the following true story:
In 1993 Mary Johnson's son was killed by 16-year-old Oshea Israel. But as Oshea served his 17-year prison sentence, Mary felt an urge to meet Israel face-to-face to see whether she could forgive him. Remarkably, she did and now Israel and Johnson are not only good friends, but take their message of forgiveness to churches, prisons, and to whoever would listen.
- Kappy
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Your insight was excellent! This was my favorite story in the book.JessP25 wrote:Wow, I actually didn't know a similar scenario happened in real life, thanks for the info! I based the story around the idea of restorative justice programmes in general, knowing they can help to reduce PTSD in victims.
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Yes, you have a great psychological mind!JessP25 wrote:
Wow, I actually didn't know a similar scenario happened in real life, thanks for the info! I based the story around the idea of restorative justice programmes in general, knowing they can help to reduce PTSD in victims.
- kstockard
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There have been many cases of people who gave false confessions, often very detailed ones, in the face of high-intensity police interrogation. Then once the initial confession has been made, often the police and the innocent person end up building together a narrative of how the crime supposedly happened, with the innocent person supplying details that they guess the police want to hear. It's hard to believe, but at the same time, tragically easy to imagine happening.
See the book, Convicting the Innocent, by Brandon L. Garrett.
As others have mentioned, there is also Stockholm Syndrome, where a hostage begins to identify with and want to please their captors. Perhaps because the captors are the only people in their life right now. This story reminds me of that, as well.
Finally, the convict himself illustrates another way that bitterness can take you.
Excellent story. I found it kinda hard to believe in the redemptive note at the ending. It seemed to come too fast. That's my only quibble.