When the Magic Feels Real

Guest Post by Michael Wright.

It means something for there to be a book where red pea soup is cooked the right way, obeah is real and so are monsters, permed hair falls out, and you understand what it means to be a runner, or a ball player, to be marginalized and to be a person at the same time.

Inquisitive, sharp, and alluring, Morgan Christie’s These Bodies is a detailed look into the lives of those whose lives we have forgotten, or ignored, or a bit of both. Her stories touch the hidden corners of who we are, who we recognize in the magic and the everyday lives she examines. From Alfred, who wants to know what it means to be a parent—and his partner Win, who wants to know what it means to be in love (“Monkey Paws”). Or Jemma, who wonders how it would feel to not come second to her father’s alcoholism (“12 Steps”). Or like Lester, who wants, needs, and wishes to be seen as more than his skin (“The Abada”).

Christie’s stories take you on a journey of love and loss, but mostly on a journey towards better understanding that we are all more than just these bodies. A whole lot more.

These Bodies by Morgan Christie. Tolsun Books, 2020.

Reviewer bio: Michael Wright is a father, husband, banker, and drinker of fine beers. He reads articles that make him think and books that make him think more.

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