Dark Roots

Starred review from October 29, 2007
Critically acclaimed in Australia, Kennedy made her first stateside splash last year in the New Yorker
and now follows that up with this revelatory collection. Set mostly in unnamed Australian locales, the stories are particularly concerned with the plight of women in social arenas where they’re expected to be less than stellar, often for the sake of male egos. “Seizure” chronicles a woman realizing her live-in boyfriend’s emotional selfishness after she witnesses a kind stranger aid an epileptic man. “Wheelbarrow Thief” focuses on a beautiful, intelligent publicist who is reduced to a dinner party accessory by her professor boyfriend. And “The Testosterone Club” is a delicious revenge fantasy spearheaded by a wife who has had enough of her husband choosing his buddies over her. Other highlights include “Angel,” in which a Vietnamese refugee dissects alienation in Australia while striving to take care of a child. The title story is a vivid dissection of the inner turmoil of a 39-year-old woman dating a 26-year-old-man. And the pièce de résistance? That would be “Soundtrack,” an inspired, sublime take on family. Kennedy’s prose walks the line between sparse and lush, and she trusts that her readers welcome well-articulated ideas balanced with reassuring doses of mystery.

January 15, 2008
Kennedy's collage of short fiction deals with how individuals attempt to resolve conflict between their inner selves and their outside worlds. This paperback collection contains many gems. "What Thou and I Did, Till We Loved," the first story and perhaps the best, examines the romance between Rebecca and another woman, Beth, and the decision Rebecca must make as Beth's power of attorney when Beth goes into a coma. The narrative has the potential to be a clichd weepy romance, but Kennedy skillfully turns it into something moving and uniquely described. The title story centers on a middle-aged woman, Mel, who is persistently self-conscious about being the "older woman" after she begins a relationship with a younger man. Kennedy conveys Mel's worries in an endearing, sympathetic manner, which strongly invests the reader in Mel's attempts to eradicate her self-doubt. These 17 stories are alternately moving, romantic, deeply sad, and/or funny, with unexpected twists and satisfying conclusions. Recommended for most libraries.Christina Bauer, Library Journal

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