Review: Lost Girls by Ellen Birkett Morris
Lost Girls by Ellen Birkett Morris is a collection of short stories. Each short story features a different woman. All of them are 'lost' in one way or another, but they all show some form of courage and strength to get through the challenges they face.
The book starts with a short story that has the same title as the book. It is the story that sets the tone for the style of writing. The type of writing verges on Southern Gothic but a more realistic versus mystical version of it. The story 'Lost Girl' is about a woman reflecting on her adolescent years and a girl that she knew who was kidnapped. It is not like most stories we read that have similar storylines. Those tend to be about the women later in life trying to find out the kidnapper or imagine the kidnapped girl's pain. No, this story highlights a more profound, more sinister tale where the woman is jealous of the little kidnapped girl and thinks, why not me? After reading that story, you are hooked by the author to see where she goes next.
One of my favorite stories in the collection is 'Life After.' It starts with a woman who is thinking about motherhood from when she was pregnant with her son to when she found out that her son died in an accident. She is grieving the death of her son Jacob and is going through the everyday motions of life. Three times a week, she goes for a walk with her friend and is trying to resume sexual relations with her husband, who is grieving in his way too. However, his way of grieving is to be solitary while she is dying for affection, but neither of them knows how to talk to each other. That is when Ethan comes into her life. Ethan is a friend of Jacob’s who stops by to visit her, and they end up playing video games together in Jacob's room. Ethan and her form an intimate bond that comes close to becoming something more. Instead, the relationship gives her the courage to open up to her husband about her pain and needing him. It ends on a beautiful note. My only criticism would be I would want that story to be a book in itself!
The last few short stories in the book feature characters that came up in previous stories. As time goes on, you realize that they know each other and live in the same town. Once I had that realization, I couldn't help but notice the similarity to Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. I enjoy it when a secondary character has a story of their own. I think many people view others as secondary characters in their life while forgetting that those people are the leading character in their own life. I love this storytelling method because you see the connections between the people in a town and how they affect each other. This is shown through the librarian's story and the boy who loved her, the child she had, and the student she inspired. The ending stories were an excellent way to wrap up the book.
For anyone who enjoys novels like Olive Kitteridge, short story collections, and southern gothic, the book Lost Girls is for you.
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