Dolores

by

144 pages

English language

Published June 28, 2019 by Orion Publishing Group, Limited.

ISBN:
978-1-4746-1193-0
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
1055680281

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(1 review)

On a hot day in late June, a young girl kneels outside a convent, then falls on her face. When the nuns take her in, they name her Dolores.

Dolores adjusts to the rhythm of her new life - to the nuns with wild hairs curling from their chins, the soup chewed as if it were meat, the bells that ring throughout the day.

But in the dark, private theatre of her mind are memories - of love motels lit by neon red hearts, discos in abandoned hospitals and a boy called Angelo.

And inside her, a baby is growing.

2 editions

reviewed Dolores by Lauren Aimee Curtis

A masterclass in 'show, don't tell'

I'm so glad I decided to take a chance on reading Dolores by Lauren Aimee Curtis! I loved the perfectly measured prose which suits the short novella-length story. It felt as though every word was vital and Curtis manages to portray real depth of emotion and experience in a concise yet powerful way. We never really get to find out much about the enigmatic Dolores before she arrives at the convent, not even her real name. Flashbacks show us scenes from her adolescent life from which I could glean a rich portrait of this young woman, but thinking back over the book for this review, we weren't actually told very much. For me Dolores is a masterclass in 'show, don't tell'.

I loved the convent's serenity with its routines and its bells, especially when we are allowed glimpses of the contradictions such as eagerly gossiping nuns, spiteful novices and …

Subjects

  • English literature