Beyond the Waterfall Door (Cooper)
(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)
I got this one in an eSpec Books Kickstarter campaign. It's been in the electronic TBR pile for a while.
Previously, according to a quick blog search, I've read Brenda Cooper's novel Post and two short stories, "The Street of All Designs" and "Trainer of Whales". (Both short stories were bonus stories from other kickstarters.)
This book is a collection of six short stories, most of which were previously published. There were (according to the intro) some modifications for the sake of the narrative. It still felt a little disjointed.
The first story opens with a boy named Jack who lives in the High Hills, which is a world similar to ours, but it has magic and is less advanced technologically. We are introduced to Jack as he is driving horses. He spots two oddly dressed girls and follows them. They crossed through a rock wall. He emerges behind a waterfall at an Arts festival in Laguna Beach, CA, which occupies the same place as the High Hills in a different dimension. Jack becomes "The Handyman's Apprentice", and will figure into all of the stories to come in some way.
The doorway operates only when the waterfall is operating, which is only during the summer when the festival is running. (There is an exception for the Halloween festival ("All Hallows in the High Hills") that happens one year.) Only a person of a certain mindset is able to get through although it seems that a person can be helped through if Jack or someone else is holding them.
The second story, "Singing Backup" starts a little weird. Not only is Jack not the narrator or focal character, but the woman who is is not one of the two from the previous story. This isn't a problem, but it was a little jarring to the narrative. Again, these are separate stories that were collected into one volume. Jack has gotten older, and is involved with one of the singers at the festival. Someone else from the High Hills is there often as well, checking out the other singer. Jack and the woman are a couple, but the festival is coming to an end, and Jack will be returning to the High Hills, and she will be off to college. Such is life as people have to grow up and move on.
The stories were all enjoyable, although the final story "The Back of the Drum", which is the longest of the bunch and the only new story, is more serious and a much heavier story. I almost wish that there were one more story, even a short one, to end on a lighter note. It could've even wrapped around to the first story in some way, or introduced a new "Jack" for some future volume that may or may not ever be written.
Short verson: I enjoyed this book.
Comments
Post a Comment