Jolene McIlwain's riveting debut collection, Sidle Creek, is a showcase of vivid, empathetic stories that defy the stereotypes about her home in rural Western Pennsylvania. There are hard times in these pages to be sure, but McIlwain's characters defy any single narrative; they are waitstaff, restaurateurs, farmers, miners, professors, parents, children, people who can't wait to leave, and people who've come to the area to retire. Through themes of class, nature, community, and justice, McIlwain shines light on the darker aspects of the human experience, and the ways in which people help each other and persevere.
The titular "Sidle Creek" follows a teen suffering her first menstrual cycles and her single father trying to help her through what they learn is endometriosis. Much of the story is spent fishing or thinking about the creek's purported healing powers. In the end, the creek can't provide a cure, but while the medical establishment dismisses women's pain, her father and the creek are a source of comfort for the girl. In this, McIlwain sets the tone for her collection: some pain cannot be removed, but the outdoors and loving humans provide respite.
Female infertility and child loss feature in several entries, but the stories often focus on men: on their relationships with the women in their lives, with animals, with their own humanity. McIlwain seeks to dispel narratives about Appalachian life, especially the stereotype of the stoic working man. In "Steer," for example, a middle-aged man thinks about his 16-year-old son, and wonders how to teach him to be a man without the brutality of his own father. "He feared his son would inherit from him the maintenance and heft of this border around his heart he was constantly buttressing and closing off to guarantee hurt would not breach it."
While all short story collections offer natural rest points, Sidle Creek is truly difficult to put down. McIlwain's metaphors are beautiful but not overly wrought, and while it's a pleasure to sit with her words, she's structured the collection in a way that propels readers forward. The 22 stories in Sidle Creek vary widely in length and subject but remain connected. They are brutal, softly magical, visceral, abrupt, heartbreaking, hopeful, inspiring, and frustrating. Sidle Creek is a rare gem, a compelling blend of nature and humanity perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer and Daisy Johnson's Fen. --Suzanne Krohn, librarian and freelance reviewer
Shelf Talker: In her debut short story collection, Jolene McIlwain dispels common narratives about Appalachian life, and explores themes of nature, community, class, and justice.