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A review by kairosdreaming
Weep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie
5.0
*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.
This may be one of the more compelling, beautiful books that I've read this year. An unexpected joy (which is a weird descriptor, given the themes). While it was short (classifying as a novella), it was packed full of detail and intrigue.
Mercy has only known sorrow in her short life. Ok, maybe that's not entirely true, she has her friend Sherry and they are able to have some semblance of fun. But in general, the women in her small town in New Mexico don't have much to be happy about. It's generational. And because of their sorrows, La Llorona haunts the village, preying on the women and sucking their dreams dry into her river.
Mercy herself is a complicated character. She wants for things, but then turns on herself, believing that she doesn't deserve them. That they'll just be ruined in the end. I think it's a very relatable theme for a lot of people. Add in the haunting from La Llorona, and it just gives it a sinister/creepy vibe.
A surprising detail I found I enjoyed was Mercy's employment (and that around her). It made the book comfortable at the same time the creepiness crept in and the odd mix between the two just strengthened them. I also enjoyed watching her grow into the social scene and handle relationships that were more complicated than what she grew up with.
Throughout all of the book, various social issues came into play; like colorism, racism, sexism. The author did a great job weaving those serious topics in with the other elements of the story. She presented them as driven into the sadness that the water witch fed on and so tied everything together. Finally, the magical realism was done so well that you can't tell if there is magic, or if it's just a vivid picture of life told through a different lens.
Definitely one to read; I couldn't put it down.
Review by M. Reynard 2021
This may be one of the more compelling, beautiful books that I've read this year. An unexpected joy (which is a weird descriptor, given the themes). While it was short (classifying as a novella), it was packed full of detail and intrigue.
Mercy has only known sorrow in her short life. Ok, maybe that's not entirely true, she has her friend Sherry and they are able to have some semblance of fun. But in general, the women in her small town in New Mexico don't have much to be happy about. It's generational. And because of their sorrows, La Llorona haunts the village, preying on the women and sucking their dreams dry into her river.
Mercy herself is a complicated character. She wants for things, but then turns on herself, believing that she doesn't deserve them. That they'll just be ruined in the end. I think it's a very relatable theme for a lot of people. Add in the haunting from La Llorona, and it just gives it a sinister/creepy vibe.
A surprising detail I found I enjoyed was Mercy's employment (and that around her). It made the book comfortable at the same time the creepiness crept in and the odd mix between the two just strengthened them. I also enjoyed watching her grow into the social scene and handle relationships that were more complicated than what she grew up with.
Throughout all of the book, various social issues came into play; like colorism, racism, sexism. The author did a great job weaving those serious topics in with the other elements of the story. She presented them as driven into the sadness that the water witch fed on and so tied everything together. Finally, the magical realism was done so well that you can't tell if there is magic, or if it's just a vivid picture of life told through a different lens.
Definitely one to read; I couldn't put it down.
Review by M. Reynard 2021