Lives of Mapmakers

by Alicia L. Conroy

Alicia L. Conroy's stories stretch the boundaries of form and language to demarcate an imaginary territory of her own devising. The characters in Lives of Mapmakers―whether a contemporary farm worker or a sixteenth-century cartographer―seek direction in their lives. Their journeys are ethereal and the discovery of a prairie mermaid exposes the best and worst in people, teenagers puzzle over their bodies' changing geographies and, in the title story, a mapmaker's quest to perfect his worldview becomes part of a narrative fabric that spans centuries. Conroy experiments with the contour of language, working in nontraditional narrative forms. She etches crosshatched landscapes in which her protagonists must make decisions whose consequences are beyond their immediate comprehension. Her inventive and off-center use of metaphor and myth ultimately open our eyes to the beauty and struggle occurring in the quotidian world around us.

Genres: Short Stories

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia L. Conroy expertly composes eleven short stories with a variety of storylines, flavours, and tones to ultimately become Lives of Mapmakers. Storylines range from the somewhat stern historical piece to the fantastical whimsy (though a little gruesome at the beginning) Mud-Coloured Beauties of the Plain. Then, the tone, and even the format, change in Breath with a Shakespearean-like sonnet. The overall theme that binds these very different works together seems to be people looking for direction in their lives.

Lives of Mapmakers is extremely well written. Perhaps, almost to much so. There were times when I was so intrigued with the mechanics of the writing that I had to reread stories because I missed out on what was actually happening. There were also a few pieces that I felt utterly stupid, like a child back in literature class who knows the writing is extremely good but can't quite be grasped. Therefore, I suggest that those with a more refined educated taste for literature will find this work utterly fascinating.