A review by reading_rainbow_with_chris
Graceful Burdens by Roxane Gay
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
“Graceful Burdens” by Roxane Gay
A short story about women not allowed to have children and their response to it. I can’t write much without giving away the story but I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. Gay has long been one of my favorite authors and, although she is better known for her nonfiction work, her voice in fiction is not to be overlooked. Full of candor and depth without becoming trapped in emotional whirlpools, readers of Gay’s fiction are invited to feel as opposed to forced into it. For this story, I did find myself wishing that this were a full novel(la) because some of the details moved a bit too fast and I wanted more time with the characters. But for what it is, it’s a wonderful story that reminds me how much I love and miss Gay’s writing, and I hope that we get to hear more of it soon.
A short story about women not allowed to have children and their response to it. I can’t write much without giving away the story but I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. Gay has long been one of my favorite authors and, although she is better known for her nonfiction work, her voice in fiction is not to be overlooked. Full of candor and depth without becoming trapped in emotional whirlpools, readers of Gay’s fiction are invited to feel as opposed to forced into it. For this story, I did find myself wishing that this were a full novel(la) because some of the details moved a bit too fast and I wanted more time with the characters. But for what it is, it’s a wonderful story that reminds me how much I love and miss Gay’s writing, and I hope that we get to hear more of it soon.