Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens
Lynn Hutchinson Lee
Orchid Lovell is a young Romany woman haunted by a fear of being found out. Her family has been chased out of town before. After settling in a seemingly idyllic northern mining town that she soon understands as rife with unseen cruelty, Orchid finds solace in a lush orchid fen where she doesn’t fear the town’s judgement. Amid the green beauty of the fen, Orchid meets her beloved Jack, and marries him in a secret blackfly-infested ceremony. But the town’s waters don’t only harbor life. In the nearby creek, dead girls take revenge on the men who murdered them, luring them into murky waters. Despite the unyielding nature of the water spirits, one man evades their violence. After a devastating attack linked to the expansion of the mine, Orchid’s fate is entwined with the panni raklies’ ruthless justice. Written in over 100 dreamy mini-chapters, this novella explores the tenuous reality of the Romany diaspora living in troubled times on troubled lands.
Oh friends. This is magical realism with literary flair and by golly that is not the vibe for me. It's so short though... Might yet power through. Confirmed, not bad. Just not my thing.
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**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley. ** Lynn Hutchinson Lee presents Origins of Desire in Orchid Fens, a literary magical realism story written in mini-vignettes. Readers follow Orchid through her life as a member of the Romany diaspora who has settled in Canada. Orchid speaks with the rusalka of the orchid fens about how they have been wronged by society. Orchid lives alongside people of the First Nations as they go to town meetings to argue against mining in their cultural fishing grounds. Each chapter is a small snapshot of Orchid's life and the everyday magic and tragedies side by side within it. This was 100% my bad. I'm not a literary magical realism reader on purpose. It isn't for me. I recognize the writing is right there where it should be for genre conventions and this slice-of-life story makes perfect sense within those parameters. I was expecting heavier horror components given that this was in the literary horror shelves on NetGalley and was excited to read something with Romany perspective. Also, the cover is completely stunning and drew me straight in. Definitely recommend this story to fans of literary magical realism and appreciate the opportunity to read it early.
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