Signaling for Rescue
by Marianne Herrman
Published by New Rivers Press
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Reviewed by Beth Cummings
Signaling for Rescue is an excellent collection of carefully crafted short stories. The characters are immensely well drawn. Their emotions touched me, gently but profoundly.
In the first story, “Leonardo’s Baby,” Ellen and her husband are struggling to cope with a series of miscarriages – a daughter and two sons. While they are teetering on the brink of despair, Ellen’s pregnant sister leaves her abusive husband and comes to stay with them. Her child, unwanted by its father, sails easily into the world – a beautiful and healthy baby. The difficulty of containing overwhelming grief and exhibiting joy for her sister, pummel Ellen, forcing a reaction.
Other stories in the book portray triumphs over grief and pain by parents, children and between them. There are children bonded together by abuse; siblings unsure of themselves because one of them has gone for alcoholism treatment; and a mother and son who travel in Italy, trying to adjust to the suicide of a daughter/sister.
While these all seem to be depressing subjects, the stories themselves are not maudlin. They are ripe with detail. For example, in “Cooking Lessons,” arthritic Melissa is disturbed by her protruding knuckles and ““She minced slowly, unable to find a rhythm, producing a watery heap of onion shards.” In “Signaling for Rescue,” George examines an Italian fresco of a couple sharing a bath: “This couple had been alive — they looked as if they had eaten, reveled, and bickered their way to the grave.” Details in each story give the characters personality and depth.
I enjoyed the book a great deal. A very fine offering especially for short story lovers from this first-time author!
Armchair Interviews says: If you admire well-written short stories, this excellent collection is for you.