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First Impression: This short story collection offers a cohesive theme and a literary read.

Wednesday's Child book cover

I offer thanks to the 4th Estate Books and W M Collins Books for reaching out to me to offer this reading activity and a free book in return for a fair review.

In her collection, Wednesday’s Child, Yiyun Li presents 11 short stories that kickstart with the title story, Wednesday’s Child. The blurb promises stories that deal with the tough themes of loss, alienation, aging, and contemporary life with all its peculiarities. As a seasoned writer with a career spanning over 15 years, I’m expecting big things. With 10 years in the making, it’s time to delve into these works and see how the writing has developed over time.

Starting with Wednesday’s Child then, we are transported to Amsterdam’s Grand Centraal station. Here we find Rosalie traversing the different platforms chasing canceled train to Brussels after canceled train to Brussels, in the hope of laying flowers for a lost child. During the wait, a woman after my own heart, she reflects on a series of books she has come to treasure over time, and how her daughter came to leave this earth.

As the stories progress, we examine womens’ relationships with postpartum depression, partners, family, and motherhood. With the first story touching on such a delicate topic, I expected the stories to be more impactful as the book progressed, especially as I had experienced one of them previously. Instead, I found the stories to be rather gentle, and in the majority of cases, they were just slices of life. There wasn’t necessarily a real end, or a real point. They were just experiences. In the end, the book began to drag because it lacked any real oomf. However, I do value the fact that there was a cohesive theme running throughout the book.

The book is ideal for lovers of foreign literary fiction that are curious about the workings of human nature. Due to the subject matter, it might resonate with women more. As aforementioned, there are some delicate tales, but having not experienced issues like postpartum depression, I was not deeply moved by what the author had to offer. Overall, the stories were ok, and the book is best enjoyed in small doses. Seeing as I’m on the fence with this title, I can only offer it 3 out of 5 stars.

Quick Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/ R Rated

Have you say: What do you think? Does a short story have to have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Share your thoughts with the Papergirl Community in the comments below.

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