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#HistFicThursdays - The Clockmaker - Free Short Story

Today, I'm super-excited to be sharing a short story from the fabulous Gothic Horror writer, Judith Crow. Here is her Poe-inspired story, The Clockmaker ... The Clockmaker I cannot sleep. I cannot allow myself to sleep. In sleep, Death may strike with as little awareness as warning, and I find myself refusing to accept unawareness at the moment of demise. Yet, I wish I were afforded others’ natural ignorance of the timing of death. In the names of heaven and hell: I both curse and envy them for their ignorance! I, like others, started my final day with little to suggest it may be my last. I was in rude health when I arrived in London twelve days earlier, and today I took the time to call upon Sir Benjamin Pelham, a man I had served alongside in India. Twenty years ago, his interest in science and invention had lured him back to the English universities, while I had stayed abroad to make my fortune overseeing the collapse and redistribution of the once-mighty East India Company.  Si

"A Wounded World" Book Review

"A Wounded World" by Crit Kincaid

Book Review




☆☆☆☆☆
“A Wounded World” was one of 5 books I got off Amazon. I’d just got a subscription for Kindle Unlimited and I knew I would want to read something while on the train north. I scrolled through my Kindle and clicked on this book at random – entirely unsure what to expect but I wasn’t holding my breath…
The first chapter gripped my attention in an uncommon way. I have not read many books where my interest is piqued so near the beginning but I found that I really did not want to put my kindle down. The Highland scenery went by…and I was still engrossed in this book.
As far as I’m concerned, a book that can elicit heightened emotions from me is a sign of good writing. At one point, I looked up from the ‘page’, needing to find the composure to carry on. My Mum notices, as she does, and moves forward to place her hand over mine.
“Don’t read it!” She says.
“No, I have to.” I stubbornly look back down to my kindle. “It’s so wonderful!”
The uplifting nature of the book, and the perceptions of life after death are utterly astounding for me.
On top of this, the characters were all well-developed – something I’m keen on. The teenage angst parts reminded me of why I chose to teach primary, but the author has portrayed secondary school very cleverly indeed, the comments on bullying almost breaking my heart. Being in Scotland, I don’t really understand the American system, but I reckon we have our fair share of these characters on this side of the water too!
As with all books, I try and find something that could be better…it’s just my nature I suppose! Aside from a couple of typos that are easily overlooked, I would do nothing to this book to change it.
What a profound insight into the world and human nature! I would highly recommend it!


Book Blurb (from Goodreads)


A story about living with the wounds that death can leave behind and healing those wounds with love. A boy hides from a world that hurt him, and a girl must learn how and what love is in order to help him realize there is life after death.

"A strange young man, indeed," said Shu, the old gardener who was really a doctor. "He's like that graveyard cat, who hunts mice amongst graves at night and occasionally ventures out into the bright light of the living world. But even then, he stays in the shadows, avoiding contact, forgetting that his natural place is with the living and not with the dead."

"Sí! La vida no debe rondan a los muertos."

The old man looked to his Hispanic friend and nodded. "My friend, Mr. Rosalis..."

"Ramirez!"

"...agrees, 'The living should not haunt the dead.' I fear bringing that boy to this place was a mistake."
 

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