The Clearing by Luisa Mercedes Levinson, 1977
The magic trick:
Burning through a suspenseful, powerfully exciting plot in only a few pages
I write about a lot of stories here on the SSMT website where plot is at a premium. Not a whole lot happens, but the theme shines through the character. Or perhaps the lyricism of the language is more important than what actually happens in the story.
Not here.
“The Clearing” is positively loaded with action, suspense, and plot twists. I love it. Certainly, the plot does not come at the expense of theme or character. This is a powerful story of strength, revenge, and love. But it’s also a page-turner. And that’s quite a trick on Mercedes Levinson’s part.
The selection:
The woman yielded to the sunlight, which lavishly took her. Her hatred, slaked, left her the way a man leaves a woman, and she sank into a heavy, sluggish peace so unlike the peace that had followed love. Though this peace at least would last.
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