ORIGAMI DOGS

A short story collection that delves into the aftermath of trauma and the loneliness of the everyday.

In the titular story,Iris’ mother is a dog breeder, and as Iris takes care of her animals day in, day out, she’s reminded of her own loneliness and lack of autonomy. She makes origami dogs with an acquaintance at school, but she’s as alone there as she is at home. This story sets the tone for the rest of the collection, showcasing Reid’s talent for delving into character while still leaving room for reader interpretation. In “Shepherd,” Keith and his wife lost their baby and killed their marriage. Now he’s dogsitting with his best friend, Twyla, for whom he has romantic feelings, as he struggles with insurmountable grief. Grieving is also a focus of “The Mud Pit,” in which Kayla loses her best friend at a very young age and still feels the weight of an imagined life debt. This story delves into a broken relationship, as well—a theme that repeats in several other stories. In “Movement & Bones,” for instance, a woman’s husband told her he wanted a divorce right before a horrible car crash left her with one foot and one hand. Now, as he’s taking care of her, he’s acting as if everything’s fine between them, and she can’t help but wonder if he would have stayed under other circumstances. These tales highlight morally complex situations that don’t have easy solutions, and they don’t hide from the unpleasant truths of the characters. Reid allows them to make mistakes and bad decisions without losing sympathy or compassion for them. Most of all, these relatable stories manage to get to the heart of what it means to love, to be part of a family, and to continue on after tragedy.

An earnest and often affecting set of tales.