Susan Palwick

This was beautifully written. A lovely story, about refugees from another dimension who make a life for themselves in the United States. That setting makes it interesting, but mostly the story is about the characters, and about both family and chosen families.
I thought the death that started the whole thing off was quite silly, and didn't make any sense when you learn what actually happened. And the ending seemed a bit quick to me. But neither one of these things detracted from the sweetness of this book.… (more)

Set not too far in the future, this novel is an immigration story with a difference. A family has been ousted from Lemabantunk, a world where the punishment for murder includes the entire extended family of the perpetrator. Placed behind wire in an interment camp, the family members cope in different ways, reminding us how varied outsiders' responses can be. Unable to divulge their origins and need for asylum, their reactions vary from suicide to anger to acceptance. In Lemabantunk the society is based on the concept of necessary beggars, who offer the opportunity to display generosity and redemption, but the newcomers to earth must find new paths to acceptance.… (more)

It took me a long time to read this collection of stories because I needed to give each one a bit of space to settle. Many of them ended with me being a bit teary, yet more understanding of how life can be so hard, yet tempered with kindness and hope.

This is not a common reaction to science fiction. My most succinct description of SF is that it's an exploration of what it means to be human. Maybe that describes all literature but SF is mostly what I read. And these stories are deeply about what it means to be human. Very much worth reading.… (more)