Dream of a Woman

Slice of life was going to be a hard sell for me from the start, but I try to stretch myself in the name of reading from voices other than those like my own.

One of Plett’s strengths for me is her compassion for the people in her stories. She doesn’t excuse their behavior but she writes people who do a mix of right and wrong, sometimes very wrong, in ways that acknowledge the mixed bag people are. I really appreciate that.

I also appreciate how her Mennonite background gives her a nuanced take on conservative religion and the way you might take something good from that experience while at the same time it can cause you great pain.

I liked Hazel and Christopher, Obsolution, Perfect Places, and Enough Trouble the best of the collection. The others were very forgettable for me. And even within the ones I liked there were moments when I was frustrated. Plett has a tendency to include painfully dull dialogue and interactions that add nothing. But then there will be such poignant moments beautifully written. I get whiplash.

I also think Plett struggles to create distinct characters. Many of them blend together from story to story, especially the minor ones. That’s less of an issue in a novel, so Little Fish was more successful for me.

I read this via audiobook. Plett narrates it herself, and unfortunately she’s not a great narrator.