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Pif Magazine
Pif Magazine |
The Queen of Hearts: Tales of Middle-Aged Passion
Women of a certain age know that "middle-aged passion" is not an oxymoron. In this GreyCore Press collection of two novellas and a short story, Millie Crace-Brown explores the lives of three women who are searching for something about which to be passionate. The first novella, "The Queen of Hearts," is the least successful. It tells the story of Rosie, who is in a deep depression since her husband left her for his younger secretary. The rest of the story continues to be cliched: in between worrying about what her teenaged son’s friends think of her and feeling sorry for herself, Rosie discovers after some weeks that she has lost that extra weight she has been hiding behind since her marriage began to sour. Newly slim, she also sheds the depression, gets a job at a natural-remedies shop, and lands not just one but two new boyfriends. Now that she’s thin, Rosie even gets the satisfaction of getting to turn her husband away when he inevitably comes crawling back to her. If this story is meant to be credible on its own, it’s just too pat. If it’s meant to be allegorical, well, we’ve read it before, too often. Ms. Crace-Brown does pop a delightful quirk or two into each of the pieces in this collection, and the one in Rosie’s tale is wonderful and nearly manages to save the story from its lack of originality. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that the mild-manned, "safe" choice of boyfriends for Rosie has a secret of the kind that makes the reader pause – maybe for more than a moment – to wonder how he or she would react if told the same thing by a lover. The second novella, "The Queen of Diamonds," is far more original and engaging. This is the story of Lina, a terminally ill widow who is attempting to set her life into order before it ends. She has survived an unhappy marriage but is concerned about her own legacy in the face of her impending early demise, especially as she has no children of her own. The issues that Linda must cope with are complicated by the fact that she is wealthy and wants to make her bequests with care, as well as by the fact that her husband died suddenly, leaving her with no opportunity to resolve the painful issues in their marriage. Linda finds unexpected happiness in the companionship of an alcoholic man who would be pathetic if it weren’t for his kindness. Sadly, we learn in the end that, despite the care she has taken, Lina’s ability to ultimately control her legacy is undermined. The last piece in the collection is "Me and Bobby DeNiro, Out in Front of the Babaland." In this short story, Rita, a housewife whose marriage is stale (he cheats) and whose children are grown, contemplates re-entering the workforce, which is a metaphor for re-entering life. She discovers that actor Robert DeNiro has purchased a getaway home near her neighborhood, and whimsically yet earnestly she leaves a letter for him there asking for a job as his caretaker. She fantasizes that they develop a relationship whereby she becomes indispensable to him, anticipating his every comfort and need. As her reward, she also fantasizes, she receives his attention and appreciation – for what Rita really is struggling with feeling uneeded. In the end, without a contrived catalyst, but in a natural, believable way, Rita draws from within herself to begin to face the changes she must make in her life. The story is written as gracefully as Rita’s transition. Tell us what you think. Email talkback@pifmagazine.com Want Pif to review your book? Cara Bobchek is a writer based in Washington, D.C. |
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