The Snow Goose and Other Tales
Ellen Eschell Murphy
Genesis Publishing House (2024)
ISBN: 979-8989614264
Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views (06/2024)
Ellen Eschell Murphy’s “The Snow Goose and Other Tales” offers the necessary nuance to convincingly capture life in the rural South for families who were affected by the four-year-long Civil War, an atrocious dispute that sowed dissension against brothers. The set of three tales, set in Northern Virginia, are compelling and succeed in humanizing civilians on the home frontier; those who are seldom discussed in history books.
The first story, The Visitor, follows Kate Adams, a young woman at the cusp of womanhood, whose responsibilities on their Virginian farm have increased ever since the dark cloud of war loomed over their home. She lives with her father after tragedy struck twice in their home, causing her to be a caregiver to her young nephew, Carl. When an injured Union soldier finds his way to their doorstep, Katie is forced to make a decision that will ultimately alter her future plans. Her brother, Henry, who has gone to the North to seek a living, also returns with his bride, but his peculiar nature signifies trouble and worries her and her father.
In the next short story, The Snow Goose, readers follow Nancy, whose husband has gone off to join the war leaving her with the daunting task of tending to their large farm on her own. Her young children can only help so much. At the time, there was little mail being delivered; and none from her husband Tom in a long time. All she can do is pray that he returns home safely. Her worries are intensified by the arrival of strangers to their home whose goal is to plunder whatever they can get their hands on. But Nancy is not so helpless after all. Mother nature provides her with an excellent alarm to alert her when danger is near.
In Blossom Time, the female protagonist in the story, Eileen, has her hands full after her husband James is conscripted into the Confederate army just as they had begun life together. As a young mother to a son and six-year-old twins, she barely has time to rest, having to also attend to their Virginian farm. She hopes and prays to hear good news regarding her husband’s well-being. However, fate seems to hold something different for her.
Murphy is a good writer offering us a form of literary tourism. She gives us a rare chance to immerse ourselves in the lives of her well-hewn characters, allowing readers to understand their ideologies and viewpoints. We can imagine their struggles and victories during a dark period of America’s history. Through this stellar panorama, she addresses themes and topics that educate us and impact our generation, even cautioning us not to make comparable mistakes in modern society that could plunge America into a similar gray period.
“The Snow Goose and Other Tales” will evoke a sense of nostalgia for a rural past that seems to be vanishing. The book demonstrates the resilience and fortitude of the human spirit and the extent humans will go to survive. It further highlights the importance of family, comradeship, and the value of humanity. The writing is crisp and descriptive with beautiful prose that adds to the narrative’s style and brisk pace. A rich narrative, Ellen Eschell Murphy’s first offering in the series is a moving set of tales about hope amid despair. It will no doubt speak to your heart in a simple yet potent way.
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