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A Mourning Coat
Caregiving has taken over Therre's entire life, eclipsing his own small fame as a costumier. When his father dies, the funeral affairs are complicated by the long shadow of his late father's internationally renowned career as an actor. To honor the man who made him, Therre tailors himself a stunning mourning coat as he navigates the forgotten shores of the man he used to be.
- GenresFantasy
117 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Alex Jeffers
37 books13 followersWriter (of various sorts of fiction and, as professionally required, copy).
Editor/copyeditor/proof reader (my own and others’ writings).
Reader (catholic, if not Roman). Designer (as far as it goes). Seamster (out of practice these days). Gardener (presently sans garden, alackaday).
Listener (to music, to friends, to crazy people). Commenter (not so much, really, though I do talk, perhaps too much, to the cats).
Drinker (put-hair-on-your-chest* black coffee mostly, spiced with the occasional Earl Grey, pinot grigio, Campari, gin, or Irish whiskey). Smoker (I know, all right, so just be quiet).
Dreamer (actually, I almost never recall my dreams). Ivy League grad (it’s true!). Tattooed and pierced person (you can take that on trust).
Quasi Muslim (if, you know, I believed in God). Football fan (no, no, no, not American football: real football, what you call soccer). Gay man.
Autobiographer? Not just no, fuck off and die no.
* not that that’s worked for me, dammit
Editor/copyeditor/proof reader (my own and others’ writings).
Reader (catholic, if not Roman). Designer (as far as it goes). Seamster (out of practice these days). Gardener (presently sans garden, alackaday).
Listener (to music, to friends, to crazy people). Commenter (not so much, really, though I do talk, perhaps too much, to the cats).
Drinker (put-hair-on-your-chest* black coffee mostly, spiced with the occasional Earl Grey, pinot grigio, Campari, gin, or Irish whiskey). Smoker (I know, all right, so just be quiet).
Dreamer (actually, I almost never recall my dreams). Ivy League grad (it’s true!). Tattooed and pierced person (you can take that on trust).
Quasi Muslim (if, you know, I believed in God). Football fan (no, no, no, not American football: real football, what you call soccer). Gay man.
Autobiographer? Not just no, fuck off and die no.
* not that that’s worked for me, dammit
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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January 21, 2025I picked up this novella based on a recommendation from Abigail Nussbaum*, whose thoughts you’d be better off reading than mine.**
If you stick around, here’s what I have to say. A Mourning Coat is about a son dealing with the conflicting emotions that follow the death of his famous father, with whom he never got along. It’s a story set in a secondary world consisting of islands and archipelagos—some of which are protected by Gods and some of which are Godless. The son, Therre, who has spent a chunk of his life caring for his father, who had dementia, was, in better years, a very talented costumier. He worked on movies. Because, yes, this world has its version of Hollywood, where Therre’s father was an internationally renowned movie star.
When Therre designs a mourning coat for the funeral, the cultural elite notices, suddenly vying for his attention, talent, and eye for fashion and design. But Therre’s focus is elsewhere; he has fallen in love with Hanhavenel, the star of a science fiction series called Star & Comets. Because, yes, not only does this secondary world with Gods have movies, but it also has a penchant for spaceships and ray guns.
I know how busy all that sounds. It’s anything but. Like a well-tailored outfit, there’s an elegance to the novella that ensures all these pieces slot in seamlessly without distracting us from Therre’s emotional struggle, his new sense of vulnerability and deep sadness for never fully understanding his father. Jeffers, whose work dates back to the 90s, has written other stories set in this world. They are, from what I can tell, scattered across multiple anthologies. If there’s enough to make a collection, I would definitely read it.
*Another genre critic with a book of criticism out—Track Changes—that I heartily and unreservedly recommend. It should be up for awards this year.
**This isn’t an act of self-deprecation. Abigail gets to the core of what makes this such a stunning novella. (The page I’ve linked has a list of Nussbaum’s favourite books. Several of which I’ve read. She has great taste).
If you stick around, here’s what I have to say. A Mourning Coat is about a son dealing with the conflicting emotions that follow the death of his famous father, with whom he never got along. It’s a story set in a secondary world consisting of islands and archipelagos—some of which are protected by Gods and some of which are Godless. The son, Therre, who has spent a chunk of his life caring for his father, who had dementia, was, in better years, a very talented costumier. He worked on movies. Because, yes, this world has its version of Hollywood, where Therre’s father was an internationally renowned movie star.
When Therre designs a mourning coat for the funeral, the cultural elite notices, suddenly vying for his attention, talent, and eye for fashion and design. But Therre’s focus is elsewhere; he has fallen in love with Hanhavenel, the star of a science fiction series called Star & Comets. Because, yes, not only does this secondary world with Gods have movies, but it also has a penchant for spaceships and ray guns.
I know how busy all that sounds. It’s anything but. Like a well-tailored outfit, there’s an elegance to the novella that ensures all these pieces slot in seamlessly without distracting us from Therre’s emotional struggle, his new sense of vulnerability and deep sadness for never fully understanding his father. Jeffers, whose work dates back to the 90s, has written other stories set in this world. They are, from what I can tell, scattered across multiple anthologies. If there’s enough to make a collection, I would definitely read it.
*Another genre critic with a book of criticism out—Track Changes—that I heartily and unreservedly recommend. It should be up for awards this year.
**This isn’t an act of self-deprecation. Abigail gets to the core of what makes this such a stunning novella. (The page I’ve linked has a list of Nussbaum’s favourite books. Several of which I’ve read. She has great taste).
June 24, 2025
A beautifully told story, with depth and history. If you love Jack Vance's worldbuilding, this will especially resonate. This is a love story on many fronts, from the half sister bravely facing the distance between herself and her only surviving kin, to the former lover who seeks a redefined role. There are no minor characters here, only characters whose stories depart the page to complete off stage.
January 31, 2026
Incredible writing. How did this not win all the awards? The first half or so is richly dense worldbuilding, but suddenly I was overcome by how freaking cute it was?? And the ending—it’s one of the rare I couldn’t predict, and so perfect for it.
November 18, 2024
Ended up reading this over the space of a few commutes and absolutely loving it. This is almost structured like a Victorian gentleman's diary in all the tiny diversions that he goes into narratively (history, culture, specific fabric differences) and describing his lover (with some absolutely gorgeous illustrations!) that is also simultaneously keenly about losing your dad to dementia and trying to rebuild your relationship with your sibling. There are a few elements that aren't fully resolved narratively but I'm fine with that personally. It's a duel between world building via drawing out every last deal of a thought and legitimately sitting with grief at times. Still a hell of a read.
June 22, 2026
Honestly one of the best novellas I've ever read. Perfectly formed within a small space and packs an enormous emotional punch about grief, growth and finding your life again after being isolated through your passion. The stakes are very personal rather than fate-of-the-world stuff, but that only makes them feel more powerful, because they are so much more relatable: death of a loved one is so much more proximate to my life than a gigantic, fated, world-ending magical whatever. Jeffers has us inhabit the character's perspective entirely, embedding us so deeply in his outlook, his struggles and his hope, as he finds new and old connections again in the wake of tragedy. With some magic thrown in for good measure. Definitely one to read if you want to feel something, with lovely prose, tight plotting and bittersweet hopefulness. 5 stars no question.
December 16, 2024
It is flabbergasting to me that this, as at time of writing, has only 1 other review. An absolute gem of a book, carefully crafted, not a word out of place. A pitch perfect meditation on grief, guilt, and relief that follows the passing of a loved one with dementia. Deeply queer. And a world built efficiently through a mixture of storytelling and word choices that told me exactly everything I needed to know for the story and left me keen to read more. Hugely impressive, and now to seek out everything Jeffers has written.
December 3, 2025
A lovely, layered, melancholy story about loss and what comes after, with lush worldbuilding and not a lot of plot. I’ll be looking for more by this author.
July 31, 2026
One of the most exquisite things I've ever read.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews