(Reviewed by JD Jung)
You’ll keep looking over your shoulder as you read these eerie stories of horror, with a little science fiction sprinkled in, in The Wishing Pool and Other Stories.
The title piece, “The Wishing Pool” features Joy, a woman returning home to North Florida to visit her father who is suffering from dementia. She reminisces about her childhood there and the small pond, where one must be careful what they wish for.
Author Tananarive Due not only tackles childhood fears but also aging and the fear of mortality. Throughout this collection of fourteen chilling stories, she also explores issues of race, family, and society. Such is the case with “Haint in the Window”, where Darryl, who runs a bookstore, is faced with a security guard who is racially profiling him. That is, in addition to dealing with the ghosts provoking him in the shop.
While these two superb stories are just examples of the haunting tales in “Part I: Wishing”, my favorites are those in “Part II: The Gracetown Stories”. As mentioned in the section title, the setting for these is Gracetown, a swamp-filled rural town in North Florida. From getting lost on Route 9 to working as a housekeeper for an elderly white man hiding damning secrets, readers will identify with many of the characters as it will bring up some of their deepest fears. In “Migration”, Jazmine cannot make sense of her actions nor remember all her secrets and transgressions as she may be suffering from schizophrenia on the one hand or possessed by a demon on the other.
In “Part III: The Nayima Stories”, we witness a grim, dystopian future where decades of plague lead to totalitarianism and shortages of every kind.
These stories feel hauntingly real and invoke such powerful images that the reader is completely invested in the characters and their dire situations. It is also amazing how Due is able to develop her unique characters in such a short amount of time.
The Wishing Pool and Other Stories will provide a unique experience in the horror genre. Highly recommended!
