Hatching
A Novel
by
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"The Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana, once said, 'There is no cure for birth and death, save to enjoy the interval.' Fair enough. But when the enjoyment of that interval is necessarily placed on 'hold', we must look around for a suitable detour. Just ask Brigid, the shy but lovable and ever-resourceful Sheroe of this extraordinary book. She may also point out that we should never underestimate the ability of the human spirit to overcome life’s obstacles.
"The story-plot is centered in three distinct protagonist-characters, cast together by dint of circumstance. As they grow and evolve within a mutual conviviality, they eventually realize that they must venture outside their confines in order to follow their ultimate destiny.
"Manuel Flores is a dedicated and compassionate psychology intern. War-torn veteran, sensitive and restless, he nonetheless has his life’s work pretty much cut out for him. While Brigid, as a precocious and inquisitive adolescent, has yet to discover the mixed bag of revelations and relationships -- some happy, some not -- which will become the facts of her life. She must learn, perforce, to adapt each time anew to her immediate surroundings: She will wear boy’s clothes, so as to conceal her gender. (It is easier for a boy to find, and keep, a job.) And then there is the traumatic experience of the loss of her innocence. She soon learns that a young girl - with no visible father-head - becomes an easy prey for men.
Elena, Manuel’s mother, will surely receive a good share of the reader’s attention. An idealist, she believes that everyone, regardless of birth, deserves a place of dignity under the sun. She represents the revered Latina matriarch, the captain of the ship. She is the typical den mother--one to whom la familia turns for inspiration and guidance.
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fascinating book because it is both entertaining and stimulating. The characters and their stories are so articulate that the book vibrates with the energy of life. In it, the reader will find not only sagacious but irreverent humor as well, along with the user-friendly spice of wisdom. There is due respect for Planet Earth and all living creatures, large and small. There also is deep tolerance, coupled with empathy for, and understanding of, the human condition. We cannot ask for more. I recommend it for a wide range of mature readers."
- Angela de Hoyos, Author of Woman, Woman (Arte Publico Press)
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About the Book
A sick child's fate falls into the hands of a psychology intern. What he chooses to do secures her future. Manuel Flores, shattered by war, builds a shelter for Brigid, who has SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency ). This solution protects her, provides sanctuary for Manuel's restless spirit, and allows them both access to a natural setting.
As Brigid grows, this nest starts feeling like a prison. She longs to get outside, beyond what she can see. Though it ultimately separates them, she pushes through cracks, then barriers, to open possibilities for Manuel. His mother, Elena, helps reunite them and, in turn, grows beyond her own boundaries of grief and aging.
Although of different generations, each main character hatches. Each emerges into a wider sphere after struggling out of a tight shell. Exploring the theme of containment this novel reveals security's limits as three very different persons nurture each other through passages of growth, loss, commitment, parenting, discovery.
From the sterile atmosphere of an urban hospital to mesas of the desert southwest, Brigid moves, by way of eastern woodlands, from cell to cosmos, from confinement to freedom, from cramped city to the vast expanse of starry night skies.
Insightful, engaging, touching.
About the Author
After a mobile childhood Margaret Blanchard settled in Baltimore, then moved to the Adirondacks to live in the woods. She now lives in rural Vermont and teaches in the Vermont College Graduate Program of Norwich University.