LitPick Review
Under Brambles by Margaretta James is a collection of short stories that all seem to end in an overall realization of inner trauma that is healed through amazing imagery built within the vocabulary of each story. Whether you are reliving memories from a very young age, religious turmoil within oneself, or trying to see through the eyes of the characters, you come to a very real and almost emotional epiphany that has a sense of calm and validation that everything will be okay. Each story is unique in its own way, and you will not want to put the book down until you have a feeling of fulfillment and ease knowing that the character in the story will not be left alone to fight a battle for a couple of chapters. The author is so skillful in her writing that she encompasses the reader in the emotions of the characters and appropriately ends each story in a way that calms the soul. This book is the definition of zero to hero within yourself.
Opinion:
This book was different from the genres I normally read. My overall feeling toward this book was neutral because each story ended in a typical sad to content way, and I was left wanting a little more character development to completely understand the meaning behind why the story was written. You would read that each character had a problem, and then by the end, the character either felt as though they needed to get over the problem or came to a realization that this is not what they want to be or live as in the future. I continued to read each story because they were rather interesting. I was assuming that each story may have been written from the point of view of someone the author knew or from an experience she may have lived through. As a teacher, I would definitely recommend that a few of these short stories be used for an Honors or AP level class in middle and high school. Each story has a perfect amount of imagery and vocabulary that allows students to inquire and collaborate on the literary aspects within certain appropriate stories. This will go on my list of read it once, and leave it on the shelf.
