Tuesday, May 4, 2021

The Gloaming, by Melanie Finn

I wrote a little about how I ended up purchasing The Gloaming back when I wrote about Seeing People Off. Having finished it today, I just went back to the Two Dollar Radio site and purchased both other Melanie Finn books they publish (they have a great deal they call the "Double Exposure Sale" where you get a steep discount when you buy two books by the same author, but I would have been happy to pay full price based solely on how much I loved The Gloaming! Actually, just check out all their sales; I'm sure it will be worth your while.) 

I almost don't know what to say about this book. It was astounding and beautifully crafted. It centers on Pilgrim, who has been left by her husband for another woman, and who was the driver in a deadly car accident in a Swiss town where she has no connections. In the wake of these events, she leaves for Tanzania on what can only be described as a whim. She takes up residence in a remote village on the Kenyan border, but trouble seems to follow her. The Gloaming is suspenseful and filled with an ominousness that leaves the reader right on the edge of doubt, wondering if the apparent threats to Pilgrim are real, or if the sense of a threat is a product of her own guilt and grief. The book takes several unexpected turns, and just continually hovers in this place where you don't have quite a firm grasp on what is real – in the most wonderful way. It's incredible.