Nice Things to Leave at A Grave, by Liz Vaughan
Read it here in about 5 minutes.
Thinking about why I love it…
I love the title of this story: it’s intriguing, as the mention of a ‘grave’ indicates a character has died, which is of course a sad event, and the reader might assume this sad death is central to the story; yet the title is also gentle, due to the inclusion of the word ‘nice’, and it may cause the reader to consider what would constitute a nice thing to be left at a grave (and, conversely, what would not be a nice thing to leave at a grave).
The contrast between plainer, everyday language, and poetic imagery is lovely. I would consider ‘smears’, ‘bawling’, and ‘bad influence’ to be everyday language, whereas more poetic imagery includes ‘Mariam’s eyes are stained glass’, ‘Beyond the soft meadow-grass of the graveyard and chapel, the forest looms and observes’, and ‘As dusk thickens, the McCalls drift away’.
The story is actually about the relationship between a mother and daughter, and the struggles and successes of navigating that relationship. There are similarities between the mother and daughter, as well as differences – it’s realistic. I love how the relationship is framed by the death of the daughter’s friend – it’s very human, and beautiful.
