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Limbo
Life is idyllic for the Martin family until a drunk driver crosses their path and four year old Missy is killed in the accident. Levi and Sherry mourn their daughter's death in very different ways. Levi internalizes his depression and heartbreak while Sherry projects rage towards the driver who destroyed her family and vows vengeance.As Levi and Sherry try to come to grips with Missy's death it becomes obvious that their conflicting emotions are incompatible and a split is necessary. Levi leaves Sherry behind in Los Angeles and takes off on a cross-country journey, bound for his childhood home in Pennsylvania. His sense of loss is so overwhelming he doesn't believe that he will be able to continue beyond the end of the trip. During a stop in Las Vegas he meets a cocktail waitress named Kitty who convinces him to take her to Boston. As they spend several days driving across the United States, Kitty tries to find out why Levi is so depressed while at the same time keeping the skeletons in her closet deeply buried. When Levi reaches the end of the road he can envision only one outcome. Kitty hopes that she can rescue him before it's too late.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 25, 2022
I read very little modern fiction so it's difficult for me to assess this book. I was attracted to it by the theme - a young man mourning the loss of his child and his marriage. It's unusual to find accounts of grieving written from a male perspective. It's fiction, but has an autobiographical feel to it.
The narrator escaped a sad childhood, educated himself, and built both a satisfying career and a happy marriage. He's a success story in the finest sense and it's particularly tragic when his hard-won happiness blows up.
A careless driver leaves his adored little daughter dead and his wife consumed with bitterness and anger. They both grieve, but in such different ways that they're no longer able to reach each other. He has no religious beliefs to comfort him. A mother who combined religious mania with alcoholism made sure of that.
Finally, he realizes that the numbness he feels is worse than death could possible be. He leaves his Promise Land (California) and starts back to Pennsylvania to see his parents one more time before ending his life.
A brief stop in Las Vegas saddles him with an unwanted passenger. Kitty is a gorgeous, sexy cocktail waitress who insists on him taking her home to Boston. It turns out that her secrets are, if possible, even crueler than Levi's.
It sounds like one big cliche, doesn't it? Unhappy man meets unhappy girl and they comfort each other and walk off into the sunset. But is that what happens? I'm not saying, beyond a comment that the ending struck me as anything but cliche. I certainly never saw it coming, although the mention of his "golgathic" lunch should have tipped me off.
The writing is professional, although not polished. I think the author does a good job of portraying a man whose life seems perfect. Until it isn't.
Is it realistic? Anyone who's ever experienced grief knows that there are no guidelines, no manuals, no how-to books that really mean much. Slogging through grief is the ultimate DIY project. Like Levi, you are totally alone. How (or if) you come out the other side is unknowable. Character? Faith? Dumb luck?
It's a thoughtful, sometimes chilling book. I'm glad I read it.
The narrator escaped a sad childhood, educated himself, and built both a satisfying career and a happy marriage. He's a success story in the finest sense and it's particularly tragic when his hard-won happiness blows up.
A careless driver leaves his adored little daughter dead and his wife consumed with bitterness and anger. They both grieve, but in such different ways that they're no longer able to reach each other. He has no religious beliefs to comfort him. A mother who combined religious mania with alcoholism made sure of that.
Finally, he realizes that the numbness he feels is worse than death could possible be. He leaves his Promise Land (California) and starts back to Pennsylvania to see his parents one more time before ending his life.
A brief stop in Las Vegas saddles him with an unwanted passenger. Kitty is a gorgeous, sexy cocktail waitress who insists on him taking her home to Boston. It turns out that her secrets are, if possible, even crueler than Levi's.
It sounds like one big cliche, doesn't it? Unhappy man meets unhappy girl and they comfort each other and walk off into the sunset. But is that what happens? I'm not saying, beyond a comment that the ending struck me as anything but cliche. I certainly never saw it coming, although the mention of his "golgathic" lunch should have tipped me off.
The writing is professional, although not polished. I think the author does a good job of portraying a man whose life seems perfect. Until it isn't.
Is it realistic? Anyone who's ever experienced grief knows that there are no guidelines, no manuals, no how-to books that really mean much. Slogging through grief is the ultimate DIY project. Like Levi, you are totally alone. How (or if) you come out the other side is unknowable. Character? Faith? Dumb luck?
It's a thoughtful, sometimes chilling book. I'm glad I read it.
March 18, 2022
Limbo, by William Graney, is a profound, dark, and ultimately moving story of a man overcome by grief and trauma because of the sudden loss of his 4-year-old little girl, his unborn son, and after the fact, his wife. Limbo trudges the edges of suicidal ideation, intent, planning, and method in a realistic, tangible manner consistent with many who have suffered similar life circumstances. While not the most polished of his works, Graney created a touching story and robust characters that I will never forget.
January 12, 2016
Incidents and circumstances often change the perception of an individual. And that is the first thought that struck me as I turned the pages of ‘Limbo’ by William Graney. Immersed in depression from the loss of his daughter our protagonist, Levi drives along the highways of Vegas. What appears as a city vibrant with life and amusement to us has a very different portrayal to Levi, a cold and numb city that gradually consumes him to get lost in its melancholy. Is Vegas really a city of the vagabonds? And the answer lies in the perception of a person.
As Levi drives to his hometown in Pennsylvania, the old broken relationships and little nostalgic thoughts cloud his mind. But truly, despite the little glimpses of his childhood and teenage years, Levi is sunk in the dark waters of loss and grief.
Levi had lost his daughter and unborn son in a car accident and untimely demise of the children took a toll on his relationship with his wife. While Levi struggles through the grief with numbness, his wife Sherry is on the path of vengeance. As their roads fail to converge, a separation becomes inevitable.
William has carefully crafted each of his characters in the story including that of Sherry and Missy. Instead of nostalgia fading away in memory, Sherry is actually an integral part of the story. We get glimpses of Sherry’s nature, her disciplined attitude in school, her playful and caring nature as a wife and mother. Once we understand the woman that she was we begin to understand the choices that she made and even feel compassion for the mother who lost her child. Despite her changing into a vengeful person, it is actually reflected as the grieving mother dealing with the loss of her children.
Limbo takes a drastic turn as Levi meets the waitress Kitty in a bar in Vegas. Kitty’s keen interest in Levi and her decision to travel with him to Boston initially appears to be overwhelming. But as we gradually discover the woman Catherine, behind the false glimmers of the Vegas waitress we are more engaged to the story.
The interactions between William and Catherine are light-hearted but often in between the lines the reflection of both the characters become visible. The two are widely different yet their circumstances bring them closer, and they confide in each other. Catherine’s past brings a twist in the tale and we are left sympathizing her.
William has skillfully drawn the characters of the story. Their experiences have been beautifully drafted to give us an insight into the personality of the characters. We really that it has what we have been through that mold us into the persons that we are today. A simple story well-crafted and leaves a deep impact in the readers.
As Levi drives to his hometown in Pennsylvania, the old broken relationships and little nostalgic thoughts cloud his mind. But truly, despite the little glimpses of his childhood and teenage years, Levi is sunk in the dark waters of loss and grief.
Levi had lost his daughter and unborn son in a car accident and untimely demise of the children took a toll on his relationship with his wife. While Levi struggles through the grief with numbness, his wife Sherry is on the path of vengeance. As their roads fail to converge, a separation becomes inevitable.
William has carefully crafted each of his characters in the story including that of Sherry and Missy. Instead of nostalgia fading away in memory, Sherry is actually an integral part of the story. We get glimpses of Sherry’s nature, her disciplined attitude in school, her playful and caring nature as a wife and mother. Once we understand the woman that she was we begin to understand the choices that she made and even feel compassion for the mother who lost her child. Despite her changing into a vengeful person, it is actually reflected as the grieving mother dealing with the loss of her children.
Limbo takes a drastic turn as Levi meets the waitress Kitty in a bar in Vegas. Kitty’s keen interest in Levi and her decision to travel with him to Boston initially appears to be overwhelming. But as we gradually discover the woman Catherine, behind the false glimmers of the Vegas waitress we are more engaged to the story.
The interactions between William and Catherine are light-hearted but often in between the lines the reflection of both the characters become visible. The two are widely different yet their circumstances bring them closer, and they confide in each other. Catherine’s past brings a twist in the tale and we are left sympathizing her.
William has skillfully drawn the characters of the story. Their experiences have been beautifully drafted to give us an insight into the personality of the characters. We really that it has what we have been through that mold us into the persons that we are today. A simple story well-crafted and leaves a deep impact in the readers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews