Authors write books for a wide array of reasons. Of course, I’m sure, if they’re seeking publication, commercial success is an undeniable goal. But. Those that write for the love of craft, versus those who hope to strike it rich, are easy to spot. I found Hieroglyphics, a novel by Jill McCorkel, written with a strong passion for literature.
The author’s character developing skills are spectacular. Her prose was outstanding, and she spent time detailing several characters’ points of view. With that in mind, being that I work in a superstore, I could picture any of her characters pushing a shopping cart through the aisles of my store. They felt real!
Making sense of the book, and why it was written from multiple points of view, was part of the fun. And while the end caught me off guard, being that the events unfolding seemed to be building towards something much darker, it turned on a dime. A violent storm seemed to be brewing, then, as if a setting sun peeking through threatening clouds, it ends how I had wished it would.
Two of the main characters are an elderly couple. The other two are a single mom and her young son. The elderly couple recall highlights of the past, and are strongly bonded because each had lost a parent during childhood. Similarly, the single mom’s son struggles to understand why his father left. And the single mom fights the notion that she might be a horrible mother.
I found the read to be involving, and, as I thought it was turning darker, my hands flipped through the pages frantically. All the while, the characters became more defined. As I began to understand them as living humans, I hoped, I prayed, their tragedies, their forgivable transgressions and their struggles were only but distant memories.
I had braced myself for a disturbing end, yet, I was comfortable with the soft landing…
Take Care and Self Travels!
Midwestern Escapes 