Search Party: Stories of Rescue
There are no easy rescues in Trueblood’s (Marry or Burn, 2010) newest unflinching story collection, yet characters still struggle to be saved despite the obstacles. A cancer-stricken radio host is on a flight to Lourdes in the contemplative “The Magic Pebble,” during which her interactions with her fellow passengers are interwoven with memories of her recent hospital stay followed by an ill-fated boat trip with her husband and young son. In “Guatemala,” a widower hosts his son and his son’s girlfriend, Guadalupe, and becomes increasingly wary of his son’s new love until their night of revelry reveals more than he first assumed. The memorable title tale follows the lives of sisters Susannah and Jo, including the repercussions of Susannah’s disappearance as a toddler on the eve of Jo’s birth. Among Trueblood’s 13 stories, 2 of the shorter ones—involving a cop turned security officer confronting a violent student and a homeless family roaming among empty houses for sale—are especially striking as she piercingly captures glimpses of salvation that remain just out of reach. --Leah Strauss