Walking the Clouds

The fact that this book sent me into a reading slump kind of says it all. Of the 19 'stories' included in this anthology, 13 of them are excerpts from larger works, not full short stories or even chapters, just moments. Each entry is prefaced by a page and a half discussing and introducing the material, and the overall structure is divided into themes discussed further in the introduction. All of which leads me to conclude this would have worked better as an essay/thesis that discussed and referenced the works, than it does as an anthology. Regrettably, I didn't really come away with the need to follow up on any of the stories excerpted, perhaps I'm the kind of reader who can't get a good feel for things even with extra context provided, I want to start at the start! Perhaps the content, understandly, universally grim, just doesn't invite further reading in my current headspace. Social commentary is an important part of storytelling and Indigenous stories reflecting lived experience is something the publishing world needs more of; I'll admit to a bias for hopeful if not happy narratives, and if an entire collection doesn't shift mood at any point from the more dire predictions and speculations I find it more difficult to stay engaged in the material. I'd like to speak more about the creativity and the range indicated by the writing, but that 'cut off' sense the excerpts provided left me feeling like I didn't really have a handle on any of them. 🤷🏼‍♂️ ⚠️racism, child abuse, SA