For The Bahamas, I read Uncertain Kin, a collection of short stories by Janice Lynn Mather. I don’t read short stories very often, but this collection reminded me that a well-crafted short story can be as emotionally satisfying as the best novel–and these were masterfully crafted short stories.

One of the stories detailed a woman’s struggle with adapting to life in Vancouver after immigrating there with her family, and in just a few pages, Mather helped me understand the immigrant experience on a whole new level. The rest of the stories were set in The Bahamas, and Mather picked the right details to bring that world to life.

The stories are about women and girls and dive into issues ranging from coming of age to the responsibilities of parenthood. This feels like cheating, but the description on the book jacket says its better than I can:

Tinged with folklore and the surreal, Uncertain Kin is grounded by its emotional richness and breathtaking insight into our relationships with others–and ourselves.

How do you cite the book jacket? lol

I loved this book. It submerged me in feelings of grief, abandonment, and betrayal without making me feel depressed. Sometimes, books that dive into the darker corners of humanity leave me feeling wrecked, but this one left me feeling blessed and a little more connected to humanity. Perhaps I need to read more short stories. I certainly intend to continue reading around the world.