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A review by carolpk
The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert
3.0
I first read about this on the Indie Next list for May, probably like most of you. I hadn't ever read anything by Timothy Schaffert but the story sounded interesting. It's about 83 year old Essie Myles who has written obits for her father's newspaper since she was a teen. It is this and much more. Initially I found myself losing the rhythm and pace of the story but then realized this was due to reading a paragraph or two and then leaving the book as work and other demands interfered. I picked it up once again today and read it straight through. I’m glad I did. I would have done myself and the book a disservice if I had not given The Coffins of Little Hope my undivided attention.
Besides the story-line of Essie's obituary writing there is the story of a young girl gone missing. This is not quite like any other missing persons story you might have read and definitely does not make the book a mystery. The missing girl provides the catalyst to keep Essie's father's paper afloat, now in the hands of her grandson Doc and is a central piece to the book's uniqness. Schaffert writes beautifully and I found myself frequently wanting to jot down passages as I read. Strong story and strong, quirky characters, especially the aging Essie and her great-granddaughter Tiff make for a bittersweet, tragic, and yet compassionate and even funny at times narration.
I found the gap between my age and Essie's closing as she describes the aging around her, trying to keep her own mortality and thoughts of impending doom at bay. Though Essie proclaims she will not be one of those people brought to her hole in the ground kicking and screaming and will bow out gracefully, letting someone else take the reins to write the obituaries, don't believe it for a minute. She is one feisty lady with a lot of living left to do.
Somewhere between a 3 & a 4 star for me.
Besides the story-line of Essie's obituary writing there is the story of a young girl gone missing. This is not quite like any other missing persons story you might have read and definitely does not make the book a mystery. The missing girl provides the catalyst to keep Essie's father's paper afloat, now in the hands of her grandson Doc and is a central piece to the book's uniqness. Schaffert writes beautifully and I found myself frequently wanting to jot down passages as I read. Strong story and strong, quirky characters, especially the aging Essie and her great-granddaughter Tiff make for a bittersweet, tragic, and yet compassionate and even funny at times narration.
I found the gap between my age and Essie's closing as she describes the aging around her, trying to keep her own mortality and thoughts of impending doom at bay. Though Essie proclaims she will not be one of those people brought to her hole in the ground kicking and screaming and will bow out gracefully, letting someone else take the reins to write the obituaries, don't believe it for a minute. She is one feisty lady with a lot of living left to do.
Somewhere between a 3 & a 4 star for me.