Title: Walking in the Shadows: and The Heir
Author: Laurene
Publisher: iUnverse
ISBN: 978-1-49179-080-9
Pages: 80
Genre: Fiction/Short stories
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel
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“Walking in the Shadows: and The Heir” by Laurene is a collection of two beautifully written short stories. “Walking in the Shadows” follows Sandy as he sees a lovely lady, Sarah Jane which leads to a meeting with Jose. Sandy’s parents, wife, and children were all killed some years before, driving him to drink and lose his zest for life. There are brief hints at what the ending will reveal, but the focus is largely put on Sandy’s grief and his attempt to move forward. This is a story of reinvention with an ending that’s best left to be a surprise. It was something I didn’t see coming until the second it happens, but looking back I can see the foreshadowing which Laurene cleverly planted. The ending was suspenseful and begged the question ‘what’s next’.
“The Heir” wasn’t what I expected based on the title. It was divided into five perspectives each playing a part in telling the story. It starts at what the reader believes is a love story, but the actual love of the story isn’t what is at the beginning. A man about to take his vows to become a priest becomes infatuated with a nurse who agrees to marry him. This goes against everything his parents had planned for him. They had planned his future of priesthood long before he was born and shunned their wedding day. Unfortunately he ends up following a similar path to his parents. The end of the story was heartbreaking as the final perspective is revealed. I didn’t quite expect the story to go quite the way it did, but by the second daughter’s part, I knew there wasn’t any other way this could go. The heir is the son that he wants in order to carry on his lineage. Looking back I should have seen it before the story began. The poem before “The Heir” foretold the story that was about to unfold, but I put it in the back of my mind. When I read I mostly like happy endings, but I can appreciate sad ones.
For those who enjoy sad endings with beautiful imagery that push the boundaries of literary, I’d recommend “The Heir”. For those who enjoy a bit more suspense, I’d recommend “Walking in the Shadows”. However, both stories complement each other. They work as a balance, providing the reader with two different experiences. “Walking in the Shadows” has suspense while “The Heir” has a fluid story-telling revolving around a tragedy. Both stories are realistic, but “The Heir” touches upon magical realism. The mother communes with a memory brought on from grief, but others may view it as a ghost. “Walking in the Shadows: and The Heir” are filled with emotion, but these aren’t stories that leave you feeling sad. Where neither of these have happy endings, both are certainly worth reading.
