Genre: Historical, Gothic
Reviewer: Maryann
Get It On Amazon
About The Book
Emma and her Aunt Agathe share a family resemblance – they can both speak to ghosts. But Agathe, rejected by her family and constantly beset by heartache, has spent her whole life fleeing her unusual gift. Emma, however, embraces it.
Grave Songs for the Dead is a cycle of three interconnected short stories, gothic with a touch of magic realism, set in the late 19th century.
The Review
“Emma”
Emma’s mother was told by the Lakota mid-wife that she was born of the wolf and is a special child. But Emma’s mother ignored that information. Emma was a quiet, normal child. Her father died when she was two. From the age of six, Emma began to make predictions that her mother didn’t believe, calling it “devilment”.
The only family member that had been considered crazy before was Aunt Agathe, and she had been sent away to a special school.
Even in the face of her mother’s disbelief, Emma still made her predictions. Now that she was turning sixteen, her mother is able send her off to the school. Emma strongly suggests that her mother leave on a vacation, or anything to get her out of the house. Once again, Emma’s mother continues to ignored her warnings, to her own detriment.
Now Emma is on her own. She sends a letter to her Aunt Agathe. She has hopes to leave Dakota and head east, but she tells her Aunt she will wait, since she has been warned not to travel by train for a month.
“Grave Songs for the Dead”
Agathe missed her father’s funeral, but she visits his grave site. She tells him of the people who shunned her. She mourns for a baby that she’s not sure that she gave life to. And all the while she sings to her father.
“Baltimore”
Agathe is on the train to Monroe. There she will meet the man she is going to marry. Will this bring her the happiness she wants?
She meets a woman named May on the train and May tells of her sad tale of what life has been like for her. Will May’s tale help Agathe accept what she has denied most of her life?
“Grave Songs for the Dead” is compiled of three short, eerie tales, all dealing with Emma and her Aunt Agathe’s strange gift. They are two very strong, very different characters. Emma accepted the gift that she was given with no remorse. Aunt Agathe, because of the way she was treated, didn’t.
Ian leaves the resolution of these tales somewhat to the reader’s imagination.
His 19th century world shines here – the letter that Emma writes and the song Aunt Agathe sings are well written, and help to set the eerie tone, and the denial, fears and the harsh treatment from those that would not accept the gift that both Emma and Aunt Agathe have are striking in this weird but compelling tale.
The Reviewer
Hi, I’m Maryann, I started life in New York, moved to New Hampshire and in 1965 uprooted again to Sacramento, California. Once I retired I moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 2011 and just moved back to Sacramento in March of 2018. My son, his wife and step-daughter flew out to Florida and we road tripped back so they got to see sights they have never seen. New Orleans and the Grand Canyon were the highlights. Now I am back on the west coast again to stay! From a young age Ialways liked to read.
I remember going to the library and reading the “Doctor Dolittle” books by Hugh Lofting. Much later on became a big fan of the classics, Edgar Alan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and as time went by Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury and Stephen Kingand many other authors.
My first M/M shifter book I read was written by Jan Irving the “Uncommon Cowboys” series from 2012. She was the first author I ever contacted and sent an email to letting her know how much I liked this series. Sometime along the way I read “Zero to the Bone”by Jane Seville, I think just about everyone has read this book!
As it stands right now I’m really into mysteries, grit, gore and “triggers” don’t bother me. But if a blurb piques my interest I will read the book.
My kindle collection eclectic and over three thousand books and my Audible collection is slowly growing. I have both the kindle and audible apps on my ipod, ipads, and MAC. So there is never an excuse not to be listening or reading.
I joined Goodreads around 2012 and started posting reviews. One day a wonderful lady, Lisa Horan of The Novel Approach, sent me an email to see if I wanted to join her review group. Joining her site was such an eye opener. I got introduce to so many new authors that write for the LGBTQ genre. Needless to say, it was heart breaking when it ended.
But I found a really great site, QRI and it’s right here in Sacramento. Last year at QSAC I actually got to meet Scott Coatsworth, Amy Lane and Jeff Adams.
