“When a mother went, we woke in the morning and sensed it. The clouds that took her touched us all, connected us all, an intimacy we had never not known. We felt her vanishing like a thread cut loose, presence turned to absence.”
Thematically, this book reminded me of my current favorite of the year: Pew by Catherine Lacey. Both premises center around a town that does things a certain way because that’s the way it’s always been (and, yes, The Lottery comparison in the blurb is spot on). The townspeople’s view of a stranger shifts throughout the narrative, ultimately proving that the way it’s always been should not be tampered with.
Despite these similarities to Pew, Elsewhere is quite different and I fully enjoyed its poetic uniqueness.
In this one, Vera, the narrator, begins by telling us of her mother’s disappearance, a common occurrence in her small, isolated town. Mothers disappear. It is their affliction. Everyone accepts it for what it is. Eventually, a stranger comes into town. We learn more about the residents’ strange customs and beliefs through this encounter. As time goes on, Vera enters adulthood and worries for what her own fate might be once motherhood comes calling.
From the start, I wondered where these mothers went, which kept me turning the page. There was so much in this I never saw coming, as the direction Schaitkin went in was incredibly clever. I loved and felt haunted by its melancholic narration. It’s one of those stories I wish I could fix, in that I want to make everything right for the main character, regardless of what she’s accepted. Because of that, this book will stick with me, and I’ll always grieve alongside Vera.
I do enjoy books that focus on unquestioned practices, which makes for a fantastic statement about society as a whole. I really appreciated the commentary on motherhood here as well - its difficulties at each stage and the judgement we’re doomed to face by those who should be our greatest allies.
Elsewhere is a beautiful piece of literature that made me sad, made me hope, and made me understand things in a way I hadn’t before. It shocked me countless times, and shocks can be difficult to experience when you’ve read so many books. I applaud Schaitkin for creating something so peculiar and so real all at once.
I am immensely grateful to Celadon Books for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
Thematically, this book reminded me of my current favorite of the year: Pew by Catherine Lacey. Both premises center around a town that does things a certain way because that’s the way it’s always been (and, yes, The Lottery comparison in the blurb is spot on). The townspeople’s view of a stranger shifts throughout the narrative, ultimately proving that the way it’s always been should not be tampered with.
Despite these similarities to Pew, Elsewhere is quite different and I fully enjoyed its poetic uniqueness.
In this one, Vera, the narrator, begins by telling us of her mother’s disappearance, a common occurrence in her small, isolated town. Mothers disappear. It is their affliction. Everyone accepts it for what it is. Eventually, a stranger comes into town. We learn more about the residents’ strange customs and beliefs through this encounter. As time goes on, Vera enters adulthood and worries for what her own fate might be once motherhood comes calling.
From the start, I wondered where these mothers went, which kept me turning the page. There was so much in this I never saw coming, as the direction Schaitkin went in was incredibly clever. I loved and felt haunted by its melancholic narration. It’s one of those stories I wish I could fix, in that I want to make everything right for the main character, regardless of what she’s accepted. Because of that, this book will stick with me, and I’ll always grieve alongside Vera.
I do enjoy books that focus on unquestioned practices, which makes for a fantastic statement about society as a whole. I really appreciated the commentary on motherhood here as well - its difficulties at each stage and the judgement we’re doomed to face by those who should be our greatest allies.
Elsewhere is a beautiful piece of literature that made me sad, made me hope, and made me understand things in a way I hadn’t before. It shocked me countless times, and shocks can be difficult to experience when you’ve read so many books. I applaud Schaitkin for creating something so peculiar and so real all at once.
I am immensely grateful to Celadon Books for my review copy. All opinions are my own.