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Sidle Creek
Set in the bruised, mined, and timbered hills of Appalachia in western Pennsylvania, Sidle Creek is a tender, truthful exploration of a small town and the people who live there, told by a brilliant new voice in fiction.
In Sidle Creek, McIlwain skillfully interrogates the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns where she grew up. With stories that take place in diners and dive bars, town halls and bait shops, McIlwain’s writing explores themes of class, work, health, and trauma, and the unexpected human connections of small, close-knit communities. All the while, the wild beauty of the natural world weaves its way in, a source of the town’s livelihood – and vulnerable to natural resource exploitation.
With an alchemic blend of taut prose, gorgeous imagery, and deep sensitivity for all of the living beings within its pages, Sidle Creek will sit snugly on bookshelves between Annie Proulx, Joy Williams, and Louise Erdrich.
In Sidle Creek, McIlwain skillfully interrogates the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns where she grew up. With stories that take place in diners and dive bars, town halls and bait shops, McIlwain’s writing explores themes of class, work, health, and trauma, and the unexpected human connections of small, close-knit communities. All the while, the wild beauty of the natural world weaves its way in, a source of the town’s livelihood – and vulnerable to natural resource exploitation.
With an alchemic blend of taut prose, gorgeous imagery, and deep sensitivity for all of the living beings within its pages, Sidle Creek will sit snugly on bookshelves between Annie Proulx, Joy Williams, and Louise Erdrich.
256 pages, Paperback
Published May 16, 2023
87 people are currently reading
3831 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
May 18, 2023
This is one of those books which is going to stay with me for a long time. All the stories are beautifully and sensitively written, despite the hard-hitting subjects such as abuse, grief, death, and miscarriage. The resilience people can dig up from somewhere. Some stories are just a few pages, others much longer, but every single one drew me in completely. Well written characters and beautiful descriptions of the area. What a talent for writing.
This is a collection of extremely moving short stories of the residents of Sidle Creek.
There is Hube. Living alone since his wife died and his son moved away. Obsessed by a doe who comes to his cabin, and by trying to keep her safe from the local hunters. This is one of the longer stories which moved me to tears.
There is Luke, breeding dogs and running underground dog fights to make money. Then he progresses to having his own boys fight each other in the ring as that makes more money. Thankfully his poor wife didn’t live to see her sons made to fight.
There is a couple who can read the future from the markings on egg shells.
There is an affair.
A missing girl.
An absorbing and unique read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you Nikki at Melville House for my advance copy of the book and my spot on the tour.
May 31, 2023
For anyone who grew up in the hills of Western Pennsylvania, this collection of stories is a return to the kitchen table, to stories told over coffee and pork chops and light beer. Not only has Mcilwain captured a unique set of lives, often mischaracterized as backwards, but she has so beautifully captured a style and rhythm of storytelling deeply tied to the setting in which the stories take place. Not willing to shy away from the dark complexity that makes up life in the region, she has allowed her characters to burrow deep beneath the reader’s skin. The read is almost anthropological, detailing the myths, beliefs, and lifeworlds of those of us from the strangely haunting place that is Western PA. This is a collection that must be read
January 1, 2023
I felt that this book of stories definitely captured the remoteness of this small town, working class area while also revealing the undertones of trauma, tragedy, pain, resilience, and beauty that simmer and rage under the surface.
The descriptions and the characters were written in a way that you can imagine the locations and really capture the spirit of the characters as you read. This is a rare gift. This author has created something unique and compelling and has great stories to tell. I definitely want to read more from this author in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.
The descriptions and the characters were written in a way that you can imagine the locations and really capture the spirit of the characters as you read. This is a rare gift. This author has created something unique and compelling and has great stories to tell. I definitely want to read more from this author in the future. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.
June 9, 2023
A new artist with her first published book, hits a home run. 22 short stories, many only a few pages, but written like poetry. Really mesmerizing. All connected through geography, these stories will set with you long after you are done.
July 11, 2023
(As per Goodreads’s explanation, 3 stars = “I liked it,” but not “I really liked it.”)
I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway, having been attracted to it by the description of it as depicting Appalachian life—for I’m a relatively new resident of Appalachia. Some of the stories seem to me to do that more than others, as some could, I think, take place anywhere. It’s not like I’ve read a ton of books about Appalachia, but still. It’s no Demon Copperhead or Cold Mountain, though obviously those are pretty tough competition.
As would be expected with a short story collection, it’s uneven, and the stories I liked best are unlikely to be those someone else might prefer and vice versa. My favorites were, as a group, the flash fiction pieces, which combined oddness and more poetic language. The story “The Fourth” [as in of July], for example, features this paragraph: “Out of nowhere a brilliant Queen Anne’s lace lights-up-humongous the sky, then the boom. I watch a line of light zip-wiggle from the treetops to the middle of the big smoky afterburn, blooming again, this time into a blue Allium. Then that boom.” Isn’t that lovely writing? The story turns out to be (to oversimplify) about how the narrator’s uncle, a combat veteran, suffers flashbacks while the kids, oblivious, innocently enjoy the holiday.
Many of the longer stories are rather sordid, which doesn’t necessarily bother me, but I felt less sympathy for the characters than I did in the aforementioned Demon Copperhead, where, if anything, they act even worse. In these stories, they seem more like rednecks behaving badly.
I don’t regret reading the collection, but I doubt I’ll remember much of it for long.
I won this one in a Goodreads giveaway, having been attracted to it by the description of it as depicting Appalachian life—for I’m a relatively new resident of Appalachia. Some of the stories seem to me to do that more than others, as some could, I think, take place anywhere. It’s not like I’ve read a ton of books about Appalachia, but still. It’s no Demon Copperhead or Cold Mountain, though obviously those are pretty tough competition.
As would be expected with a short story collection, it’s uneven, and the stories I liked best are unlikely to be those someone else might prefer and vice versa. My favorites were, as a group, the flash fiction pieces, which combined oddness and more poetic language. The story “The Fourth” [as in of July], for example, features this paragraph: “Out of nowhere a brilliant Queen Anne’s lace lights-up-humongous the sky, then the boom. I watch a line of light zip-wiggle from the treetops to the middle of the big smoky afterburn, blooming again, this time into a blue Allium. Then that boom.” Isn’t that lovely writing? The story turns out to be (to oversimplify) about how the narrator’s uncle, a combat veteran, suffers flashbacks while the kids, oblivious, innocently enjoy the holiday.
Many of the longer stories are rather sordid, which doesn’t necessarily bother me, but I felt less sympathy for the characters than I did in the aforementioned Demon Copperhead, where, if anything, they act even worse. In these stories, they seem more like rednecks behaving badly.
I don’t regret reading the collection, but I doubt I’ll remember much of it for long.
January 19, 2024
this was really an incredible and sensitive book, I'm over the moon about it. each story felt so cohesive and full no matter how short it was! and the occasional ways in which the characters of these various stories intersect in each other's lives— AND the ways that sidle creek continuously pops up— never felt gimmicky or shallow. essentially every little story made me teary at least once (with special appreciation for: you four are the one, loosed, the fractal geometry of grief, and shell, but they're all spectacular). this was an atmospheric triumph and I can't recommend it enough; even if it's brutal at times, all of the stories are chock-full of love and an attentive voice. BRAVO!!!!!! 10/10!!!!!! a new favorite!!!!!!
April 24, 2023
I want to give it five stars, but honestly, some of the stories were so disturbing i can’t. Like, they are going to haunt me. Here are some story-by-story thoughts:
The title story was strangely upsetting but not terribly so. It hooked me. But Steer was terrible! Upsetting terrible, not writing terrible, and now I’ll NEVER be able to forget it. The Fractal Geometry of Grief was very sad yet I see the beauty. You Four are the One was, thank goodness, happy. A ray of hope which I needed after Seed to Full. Then Where Lottie Lived? Fuck you, Jolene! What was that? So horribly sad. Will never leave my head. Loose is tough, Shell is simply sad, and Sostenuto is real (and sad). Those Red Boots a mini murder mystery. An Ever Fixed Mark? Well damn. It instantly brought back the opening scenes from “Six Feet Under.” So disturbing and somehow poetic. In fact I’m stopping there because that’s how I would describe most of these - disturbing yet somehow poetic.
The title story was strangely upsetting but not terribly so. It hooked me. But Steer was terrible! Upsetting terrible, not writing terrible, and now I’ll NEVER be able to forget it. The Fractal Geometry of Grief was very sad yet I see the beauty. You Four are the One was, thank goodness, happy. A ray of hope which I needed after Seed to Full. Then Where Lottie Lived? Fuck you, Jolene! What was that? So horribly sad. Will never leave my head. Loose is tough, Shell is simply sad, and Sostenuto is real (and sad). Those Red Boots a mini murder mystery. An Ever Fixed Mark? Well damn. It instantly brought back the opening scenes from “Six Feet Under.” So disturbing and somehow poetic. In fact I’m stopping there because that’s how I would describe most of these - disturbing yet somehow poetic.
June 28, 2023
Jolene McIlwain's Sidle Creek is a gorgeously written collection of short stories, whose indelible characters will stay with me for a long, long time. And it is strangely the men in these stories, not the women, who I think about as I wake up, stare out a window, brush my teeth. It is the husbands and fathers McIlwain deftly conjures in "Steer," "The Fractal Geometry of Grief," "You Four Are the One," "Sostenuto," "The Steep Side" who particularly haunt me with their collective tenderness, grace, and vulnerability--and I can't even talk about the sawyer husband in "Seed to Full" without wanting to cry. And laugh. Because there's humor in these dark stories. I can't help but love a man so practical and precise he can describe women as types of cut wood: "My wife Hannah's like a quartersawn board, the kind that's best for flooring or treads on stairs--it's stable, doesn't easily produce slivers or warp or cup, like flat-sawn wood. Flat-sawn's best only for visual appeal, like my eldest brother's wife. Rift-sawn's the worst cut of all, like my mother-in-law." I wish I could spend more time in the world of Sidle Creek, in those brutal and beautiful western Pennsylvania woods.
March 18, 2024
This collection of short stories focuses on themes of unconventional grief, otherness, and the loneliness that comes from illness. The characters in many of these stories find themselves in situations where they don't agree with harm being caused, but don't exactly know how to avoid participating in it... because harm is normal. There is a lot of grief in knowing you're the other, the one who wants to change or break a cycle, and not knowing where to start. I thought all of McIlwain's characters were thought out, interesting and reflective of the small town area they inhibit. They're complex, but contained, like many of us have to be in rural areas where you can be alienated for expressing the ways you are different.
In the first story, the young girl has endometriosis. "I'd learned to hate all things red." This really resonated with me, as someone who also has experienced period-related illness for the last seventeen years.
I enjoyed getting a glimpse into these characters' worlds, and still find myself feeling curious about what came next for them after the small snapshot of their life that Jolene captured. Where did the grief go? It never ends, it just change shapes, and sometimes becomes a deer.
In the first story, the young girl has endometriosis. "I'd learned to hate all things red." This really resonated with me, as someone who also has experienced period-related illness for the last seventeen years.
I enjoyed getting a glimpse into these characters' worlds, and still find myself feeling curious about what came next for them after the small snapshot of their life that Jolene captured. Where did the grief go? It never ends, it just change shapes, and sometimes becomes a deer.
December 11, 2024
My dad promised me this would be an amazing short story collection and I was definitely not disappointed ! This was a beautiful collection of stories, expertly tied together with a loose thread… enough to connect them in a way that felt logical, but never feeling forced or too much. My favorite stories were probably the longer ones because there was more time for plot and character development, but it was impressive how a snap shot of a whole world could also be created in a couple short pages. Five stars for sure!
June 20, 2023
I need to catch my breath. Some of these stories had me in tears while others had me clenching my fists wanting to punch someone. McIlwain has an ear for the voice of the people and develops the characters well. My stomach still clenches thinking of one or two of the stories and the actions she portrayed.
February 17, 2024
It took me a while to finish this collection. It's got a lot of praise blurbs, and the premise is intriguing: a collection clustered around the same area of Pennsylvania's Appalachian hills. I'm a fan of connected story collections.
It was a solid collection, but I've gotten to the end and nothing stood out to me as a gut-punch story I need to reread or marvel over. As I read, I had the sense, repeatedly, that these are so carefully rendered that they ironed out any possibility that they could surprise or enlighten. They explore deep, dark topics for sure, a favorite of the literary genre, and as a reader I love going into those deep, dark places, but there was nothing new here for me. It was as though each story was highly aware that it WAS a story, and that self-awareness removed possibilities for me to emotionally connect and resonate in the way I really yearned to.
I'm in the minority, I know. Objectively, these are well-written and examine the lives of people we deserve to know. I just didn't find that it knocked my socks off; the jacket copy didn't deliver, to me, its promises of lyrical interrogation or gorgeous images. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.
It was a solid collection, but I've gotten to the end and nothing stood out to me as a gut-punch story I need to reread or marvel over. As I read, I had the sense, repeatedly, that these are so carefully rendered that they ironed out any possibility that they could surprise or enlighten. They explore deep, dark topics for sure, a favorite of the literary genre, and as a reader I love going into those deep, dark places, but there was nothing new here for me. It was as though each story was highly aware that it WAS a story, and that self-awareness removed possibilities for me to emotionally connect and resonate in the way I really yearned to.
I'm in the minority, I know. Objectively, these are well-written and examine the lives of people we deserve to know. I just didn't find that it knocked my socks off; the jacket copy didn't deliver, to me, its promises of lyrical interrogation or gorgeous images. I wanted to love it, but I didn't.
March 12, 2024
Picked up this book because it was tagged as a “Local” read. After reading it, I think that it should be considered more a collection of stories that take place in rural areas, rather than as NC-centered. I found most of the stories in this collection to be very dark and frequently disturbing. Some of the stories are very short, like barely a whole page. It was a fast read until I got bogged down thinking about or rereading a story to try to make sense of it.
June 1, 2025
Synapses are spoiler-free.
A collection of rumors stories all set in the town of saddle Creek found in the Pennsylvania's Appalachian hills. The stories are not interconnected. A couple of times a minor character shows up in another story but it's barely noticeable. The majority of these stories are two to three pages long and I didn't take to them that well. They were okay mostly some were duds but they just left me feeling neutral. Whoever they were a handful of longer stories which were excellent that I gave five stars. These showcased Michael Lanes writing talent how she captured the people who live in these tight-knit rural towns where everyone knows everyone. From the quality of these alone I would read a novel written by her but I wouldn't read another short story collection.
1. Sidle Creek - The story of why strange Esme Anderson lives behind the wall she and her father built in her 20s. A feminist tale of a girl with only a dad, and how he cared enough to help her with her painful menses. Nice story. Good writing. (3/5)
2. Steer - Roy drives up Hogback Hill and feels the panic attack begin; usually takes a few deep breaths, and he's ok, but halfway down Hogback Hill, he has to pull over and put on his 4-ways. Then he remembers about the steer from when he was about 16. McIlwain brings the sensations to life in the descriptions of this uncomfortable scene. It makes you squirm and feel for the boy. Small but powerful (4/5)
3. Seed to Full - Just a few pages as the narrator tells us why his wife doesn't like the casket he's made for their babe. Sad. (3/5)
4. The Fractal Geometry of Grief - A couple of professors move out to a property and some land in the woods when they retire. She dies after only 3 years, leaving him alone with his grief. He finds a die a becomes very attached to it. This is a touching story of one man's way of coping with grief. (5/5)
5. Angling - She wakes up with one side of her mouth drooping. That eye won't stop crying. Her husband thinks it's a stroke. But it's not. She knows what it is. Mysterious and atmospheric for a 2-page story. (4/5)
6. You Four Are the One - A woman has suffered 4 miscarriages and is having another high-risk pregnancy and is ordered to complete bed rest. 4 neighbourhood girls devote the summer to looking after her, leaving her with one month left to go when they return to school. This is a much longer story than the others and full of empathy as well as a bit of a coming-of-age story for the girls (5/5)
7. Where Lottie Lived - An old woman living in the same house all these years knows she'll have to leave it soon, but she keeps a secret from her daughter and all the townsfolk what she plans to do. But Lottie brings back memories of bad things from the past. This is a shocking and sad story. (3/5)
8. Eminent Domain - About the weirdness of small towns. Follows a chain of structures the guys used for partying and why they got kicked out to the strangest, gruesome one. Interesting story every small town has. (3/5)
9. Lost - This is a long, sad story of abuse. A boy born to poor folks makes something of himself, starting with 2-bit jobs and eloping. Then having 4 boys, he wants to amount to more than himself. He starts with cock fighting. Then moves on up to pitbull breeding and fighting, and what he moves into next is horrible. A riveting and emotionally charged story. (5/5)
10. The Less Said - It's fall, and four city slickers come to the club every year of late. That weekend, two of the dancers went missing and were found back after. Everyone knows the city slickers play with people out at that camp every weekend. A story of degeneracy and privilege, and how the meek shall inherit. When it comes to long stories like this with character the author excels. (4/5)
11. The List - Hilly takes a list of all the sins of all the men she's bedded to confession for Father to forgive at the next Mass. A 2-page story with wonderful visuals but not much purpose. (2/5)
12. Shell - A soldier in Vietnam falls in love with Mai. They bond over a shared skill in divination, and both read nest egg markings. Home in the States, in their 60s, he reads that she will die before him. He keeps this reading from her and becomes obsessed with keeping her safe. This is a sad story with a melancholy atmosphere hanging over the entire story. I felt sorry for them relying on the readings so much in the first place, and the ending, which I figured out, was sadder than his initial reading. Beautiful story. (5/5)
13. The Fourth - Tidying up after the party and the night is closing in, but something is wrong with Uncle Ron as the town fireworks start to go off. Like all the short 2-3 page vignettes, the story is fine, but it doesn't do much for me. (3/5)
14. Drumming - A 3-page story of 2 people connecting with each other. Manages to hit a few tragedies. Ok story. (3/5)
15. They Didn't Sound Like Themselves For Us - Boys listening to their fathers being told what they've done at school and discussing possible punishments. Listening to the clear language their fathers use when speaking to the Father. Not much of a story (2/5)
16. Sostenuto - A man remembers the three months he was once in love. Another vignette, this one of adultery does nothing for me. (2/5)
17. Those Red Boots - A waitress goes missing. A distinct part of the costume they wear is a pair of shiny red rubber boots. One of these boots is found with her name inside in gold ink. This was excellent. It felt just like an episode of a TV crime show. (5/5)
18. An Ever-Fixed Mark -A vignette of a woman on her farm as a storm comes through waiting for her divorce to be finalized. Not much to this one. (2/5)
19. Oiling the Gun - Another vignette has a girl thinking while her dad is cleaning his gun and her mum is making spaghetti sauce with the squirrels he caught. The girl wishes she had more choices than she does now. An interesting moment in time. (3/5)
20. Seeds - In this vignette a woman's thoughts of her father turn towards her husband and, while I didn't really understand it, it had an overall atmosphere of gloom hanging over it all.. (3/5)
21. Licking the Chocolate Glassine - A woman remembers an episode of stealing from when she was 11, and feels guilty about it. Another vignette which is one of the better ones.
22. The Steep Side - A boy stops his dirtbike where he can see two women. One pregnant on the ground and the other over her with a knife. A chilling story and a good finish to the book. (4/5)
A collection of rumors stories all set in the town of saddle Creek found in the Pennsylvania's Appalachian hills. The stories are not interconnected. A couple of times a minor character shows up in another story but it's barely noticeable. The majority of these stories are two to three pages long and I didn't take to them that well. They were okay mostly some were duds but they just left me feeling neutral. Whoever they were a handful of longer stories which were excellent that I gave five stars. These showcased Michael Lanes writing talent how she captured the people who live in these tight-knit rural towns where everyone knows everyone. From the quality of these alone I would read a novel written by her but I wouldn't read another short story collection.
1. Sidle Creek - The story of why strange Esme Anderson lives behind the wall she and her father built in her 20s. A feminist tale of a girl with only a dad, and how he cared enough to help her with her painful menses. Nice story. Good writing. (3/5)
2. Steer - Roy drives up Hogback Hill and feels the panic attack begin; usually takes a few deep breaths, and he's ok, but halfway down Hogback Hill, he has to pull over and put on his 4-ways. Then he remembers about the steer from when he was about 16. McIlwain brings the sensations to life in the descriptions of this uncomfortable scene. It makes you squirm and feel for the boy. Small but powerful (4/5)
3. Seed to Full - Just a few pages as the narrator tells us why his wife doesn't like the casket he's made for their babe. Sad. (3/5)
4. The Fractal Geometry of Grief - A couple of professors move out to a property and some land in the woods when they retire. She dies after only 3 years, leaving him alone with his grief. He finds a die a becomes very attached to it. This is a touching story of one man's way of coping with grief. (5/5)
5. Angling - She wakes up with one side of her mouth drooping. That eye won't stop crying. Her husband thinks it's a stroke. But it's not. She knows what it is. Mysterious and atmospheric for a 2-page story. (4/5)
6. You Four Are the One - A woman has suffered 4 miscarriages and is having another high-risk pregnancy and is ordered to complete bed rest. 4 neighbourhood girls devote the summer to looking after her, leaving her with one month left to go when they return to school. This is a much longer story than the others and full of empathy as well as a bit of a coming-of-age story for the girls (5/5)
7. Where Lottie Lived - An old woman living in the same house all these years knows she'll have to leave it soon, but she keeps a secret from her daughter and all the townsfolk what she plans to do. But Lottie brings back memories of bad things from the past. This is a shocking and sad story. (3/5)
8. Eminent Domain - About the weirdness of small towns. Follows a chain of structures the guys used for partying and why they got kicked out to the strangest, gruesome one. Interesting story every small town has. (3/5)
9. Lost - This is a long, sad story of abuse. A boy born to poor folks makes something of himself, starting with 2-bit jobs and eloping. Then having 4 boys, he wants to amount to more than himself. He starts with cock fighting. Then moves on up to pitbull breeding and fighting, and what he moves into next is horrible. A riveting and emotionally charged story. (5/5)
10. The Less Said - It's fall, and four city slickers come to the club every year of late. That weekend, two of the dancers went missing and were found back after. Everyone knows the city slickers play with people out at that camp every weekend. A story of degeneracy and privilege, and how the meek shall inherit. When it comes to long stories like this with character the author excels. (4/5)
11. The List - Hilly takes a list of all the sins of all the men she's bedded to confession for Father to forgive at the next Mass. A 2-page story with wonderful visuals but not much purpose. (2/5)
12. Shell - A soldier in Vietnam falls in love with Mai. They bond over a shared skill in divination, and both read nest egg markings. Home in the States, in their 60s, he reads that she will die before him. He keeps this reading from her and becomes obsessed with keeping her safe. This is a sad story with a melancholy atmosphere hanging over the entire story. I felt sorry for them relying on the readings so much in the first place, and the ending, which I figured out, was sadder than his initial reading. Beautiful story. (5/5)
13. The Fourth - Tidying up after the party and the night is closing in, but something is wrong with Uncle Ron as the town fireworks start to go off. Like all the short 2-3 page vignettes, the story is fine, but it doesn't do much for me. (3/5)
14. Drumming - A 3-page story of 2 people connecting with each other. Manages to hit a few tragedies. Ok story. (3/5)
15. They Didn't Sound Like Themselves For Us - Boys listening to their fathers being told what they've done at school and discussing possible punishments. Listening to the clear language their fathers use when speaking to the Father. Not much of a story (2/5)
16. Sostenuto - A man remembers the three months he was once in love. Another vignette, this one of adultery does nothing for me. (2/5)
17. Those Red Boots - A waitress goes missing. A distinct part of the costume they wear is a pair of shiny red rubber boots. One of these boots is found with her name inside in gold ink. This was excellent. It felt just like an episode of a TV crime show. (5/5)
18. An Ever-Fixed Mark -A vignette of a woman on her farm as a storm comes through waiting for her divorce to be finalized. Not much to this one. (2/5)
19. Oiling the Gun - Another vignette has a girl thinking while her dad is cleaning his gun and her mum is making spaghetti sauce with the squirrels he caught. The girl wishes she had more choices than she does now. An interesting moment in time. (3/5)
20. Seeds - In this vignette a woman's thoughts of her father turn towards her husband and, while I didn't really understand it, it had an overall atmosphere of gloom hanging over it all.. (3/5)
21. Licking the Chocolate Glassine - A woman remembers an episode of stealing from when she was 11, and feels guilty about it. Another vignette which is one of the better ones.
22. The Steep Side - A boy stops his dirtbike where he can see two women. One pregnant on the ground and the other over her with a knife. A chilling story and a good finish to the book. (4/5)
June 2, 2023
This is an astonishingly accomplished collection which puts me in mind of Louise Erdrich, for her intimate and quiet portraiture of Appalachian folk.
The starkness and remoteness of the mountains and rivers, the woods and the wildlife, contrast with the influx of human life, and when you think of nature 'red in tooth and claw', it is really the people there, the humans, with their tales to tell which bleed across every page.
There are 22 stories that are told with the best kind of narrative voice which underpins men, women, children and teens alike. From the opening salvo, 'Sidle Creek' the contrast between the title creek and a young woman whose other has chosen Jesus over her, navigates a passage to womanhood guided by her father and his understanding of nature, is stark. There is no explanation for why the creek has acted in unusual ways, the father is trying his best before he explores more traditional and medical routes for answers, exploring the way fish are caught and trapped by their nature as well as what is laid for them on the flies that fishers use.
This theme of nature threaded through the human experience is further relayed in stories such as 'Seed To Full', where a father uses his knowledge of wood and carpentry to create a coffin for his baby son. The heart-breaking narrative is not told to pull the strings of the reader's heart, there is no emotive bullying or manipulation, this just is, cruel as it is, life told through the links we make to those in our communities and those we make with the world around us. Isolated it may be, but the way blood calls to blood, the way people help each other through the worst -and best-days is juts beautifully rendered, told with a quiet strength, and lingers long after the telling.
In 'The Fractal Geometry Of Grief', a widower believes the doe who visits him, is the reincarnation of his wife.
In 'Sostentuto', an affair is compared to the difference between repairing and restoring pianos, and that of playing it. Giving others the ability to create whilst denying himself the chance to do more than play once a month, is the difference between 'love' and 'committment'. It's a beautifully rendered metaphor played out over a mere 2 pages, yet Jolene places more depth, resonance and characterisation here than many novelists could in their toe breaking tomes.
My personal favourite is the astonishingly heartfelt 'You Four Are The One', melding folklore, myth and hearsay into this tale of 4 teen girls on the cusp of becoming themselves, all feeling they lack something, who spend their last summer before entering 6th grade, supporting a neighbour named Cinta Johns who is on permanent bedrest to allow her high risk pregnancy to progress as far as medicine will allow. The nature of nurturing is based on sheer will power to will this baby on, to be the one who makes it, to stand for the 4 who did not. These girls are heroes as they are relentlessly caring , assisting to build the nursery, supporting Cinta's husband and creating an environment into which their baby will j0t only be welcomed, but is already loved. There is a peace and an ease which comes alongside the economy of these stories that allows the tale to just flow. It doesn't rush you along, like the title suggests, the flow of the creek sidles, and moves you along to bear witness to the major moments in life for these characters who live briefly, bravely and beautifully on each wonderful page.
The starkness and remoteness of the mountains and rivers, the woods and the wildlife, contrast with the influx of human life, and when you think of nature 'red in tooth and claw', it is really the people there, the humans, with their tales to tell which bleed across every page.
There are 22 stories that are told with the best kind of narrative voice which underpins men, women, children and teens alike. From the opening salvo, 'Sidle Creek' the contrast between the title creek and a young woman whose other has chosen Jesus over her, navigates a passage to womanhood guided by her father and his understanding of nature, is stark. There is no explanation for why the creek has acted in unusual ways, the father is trying his best before he explores more traditional and medical routes for answers, exploring the way fish are caught and trapped by their nature as well as what is laid for them on the flies that fishers use.
This theme of nature threaded through the human experience is further relayed in stories such as 'Seed To Full', where a father uses his knowledge of wood and carpentry to create a coffin for his baby son. The heart-breaking narrative is not told to pull the strings of the reader's heart, there is no emotive bullying or manipulation, this just is, cruel as it is, life told through the links we make to those in our communities and those we make with the world around us. Isolated it may be, but the way blood calls to blood, the way people help each other through the worst -and best-days is juts beautifully rendered, told with a quiet strength, and lingers long after the telling.
In 'The Fractal Geometry Of Grief', a widower believes the doe who visits him, is the reincarnation of his wife.
In 'Sostentuto', an affair is compared to the difference between repairing and restoring pianos, and that of playing it. Giving others the ability to create whilst denying himself the chance to do more than play once a month, is the difference between 'love' and 'committment'. It's a beautifully rendered metaphor played out over a mere 2 pages, yet Jolene places more depth, resonance and characterisation here than many novelists could in their toe breaking tomes.
My personal favourite is the astonishingly heartfelt 'You Four Are The One', melding folklore, myth and hearsay into this tale of 4 teen girls on the cusp of becoming themselves, all feeling they lack something, who spend their last summer before entering 6th grade, supporting a neighbour named Cinta Johns who is on permanent bedrest to allow her high risk pregnancy to progress as far as medicine will allow. The nature of nurturing is based on sheer will power to will this baby on, to be the one who makes it, to stand for the 4 who did not. These girls are heroes as they are relentlessly caring , assisting to build the nursery, supporting Cinta's husband and creating an environment into which their baby will j0t only be welcomed, but is already loved. There is a peace and an ease which comes alongside the economy of these stories that allows the tale to just flow. It doesn't rush you along, like the title suggests, the flow of the creek sidles, and moves you along to bear witness to the major moments in life for these characters who live briefly, bravely and beautifully on each wonderful page.
September 16, 2023
Book Review: Sidle Creek by Jolene McIlwain
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the moment I laid eyes on the captivating cover of Sidle Creek, I knew I was in for a treat. Jolene McIlwain, a brilliant new voice in fiction, takes readers on a tender and truthful exploration of a small town nestled in the hills of Appalachia. With an alchemic blend of taut prose, gorgeous imagery, and deep sensitivity, Sidle Creek is a mesmerizing collection of short stories that will leave you captivated long after you turn the final page.
Set in the bruised, mined, and timbered hills of western Pennsylvania, McIlwain skillfully delves into the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns she grew up in. These stories unfold in familiar settings such as diners, dive bars, town halls, and bait shops, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the daily lives of the townsfolk. Through her writing, McIlwain explores poignant themes of class, work, health, and trauma, unveiling the unexpected human connections that flourish within these small, close-knit communities.
One of the standout aspects of Sidle Creek is the masterful way in which McIlwain effortlessly weaves the wild beauty of the natural world into her narratives. The natural world becomes not only a backdrop but also a source of livelihood for the town’s inhabitants. However, it is not immune to the vulnerabilities brought about by natural resource exploitation. This delicate balance between human existence and nature adds an extra layer of depth to the stories, making them all the more immersive and thought-provoking.
What truly sets Sidle Creek apart is its unique structure. McIlwain employs a mix of super short stories or flash fiction alongside longer ones, creating a dynamic reading experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Each story is written with precision and care, with beautiful descriptions of the settings that transport you to Sidle Creek itself. Whether it is a brief glimpse into a character’s life or a more in-depth exploration, every story in this collection is compelling and thoughtful in its own unique way.
As someone who is not typically drawn to short story collections, Sidle Creek was a pleasant surprise. This book pushed me out of my comfort zone and rewarded me with an unforgettable reading experience. The author’s ability to craft fully realized characters within such concise narratives is commendable. I found myself captivated by each story and know that I will be revisiting them often.
In conclusion, Jolene McIlwain’s Sidle Creek is an exceptional collection that deserves a prominent place on every bookshelf. With its tender exploration of small-town life, its skillful examination of societal themes, and its enchanting blend of vivid prose and striking imagery, this book stands shoulder to shoulder with literary greats such as Annie Proulx, Joy Williams, and Louise Erdrich. If you are craving a compelling and thought-provoking read, I wholeheartedly recommend Sidle Creek.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the moment I laid eyes on the captivating cover of Sidle Creek, I knew I was in for a treat. Jolene McIlwain, a brilliant new voice in fiction, takes readers on a tender and truthful exploration of a small town nestled in the hills of Appalachia. With an alchemic blend of taut prose, gorgeous imagery, and deep sensitivity, Sidle Creek is a mesmerizing collection of short stories that will leave you captivated long after you turn the final page.
Set in the bruised, mined, and timbered hills of western Pennsylvania, McIlwain skillfully delves into the myths and stereotypes of the mining, mill, and farming towns she grew up in. These stories unfold in familiar settings such as diners, dive bars, town halls, and bait shops, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the daily lives of the townsfolk. Through her writing, McIlwain explores poignant themes of class, work, health, and trauma, unveiling the unexpected human connections that flourish within these small, close-knit communities.
One of the standout aspects of Sidle Creek is the masterful way in which McIlwain effortlessly weaves the wild beauty of the natural world into her narratives. The natural world becomes not only a backdrop but also a source of livelihood for the town’s inhabitants. However, it is not immune to the vulnerabilities brought about by natural resource exploitation. This delicate balance between human existence and nature adds an extra layer of depth to the stories, making them all the more immersive and thought-provoking.
What truly sets Sidle Creek apart is its unique structure. McIlwain employs a mix of super short stories or flash fiction alongside longer ones, creating a dynamic reading experience that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Each story is written with precision and care, with beautiful descriptions of the settings that transport you to Sidle Creek itself. Whether it is a brief glimpse into a character’s life or a more in-depth exploration, every story in this collection is compelling and thoughtful in its own unique way.
As someone who is not typically drawn to short story collections, Sidle Creek was a pleasant surprise. This book pushed me out of my comfort zone and rewarded me with an unforgettable reading experience. The author’s ability to craft fully realized characters within such concise narratives is commendable. I found myself captivated by each story and know that I will be revisiting them often.
In conclusion, Jolene McIlwain’s Sidle Creek is an exceptional collection that deserves a prominent place on every bookshelf. With its tender exploration of small-town life, its skillful examination of societal themes, and its enchanting blend of vivid prose and striking imagery, this book stands shoulder to shoulder with literary greats such as Annie Proulx, Joy Williams, and Louise Erdrich. If you are craving a compelling and thought-provoking read, I wholeheartedly recommend Sidle Creek.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
May 25, 2023
Jolene McIlwain, in Sidle Creek, from Melville Publishing House, presents stories of small town family life, each unlike stories we are used to, with a truthful presentation to what life is like, the simplicity of it, more so than any author I have lately read. Many writers have presented readers with stories of families, but here, you find mixtures of situations more realistic than ever before.
For instance the first story shared, a father who is raising his young daughter, the mother having left to “follow Jesus”. When she first experiences menstruation, problems ensue, the father, not knowing what to do about the severity of her problem, suggests they get help, the girl wants none, so they go fishing.
After a year, when they turn to the town's proclaimed healer, she claims to personally know the issues, and shares the fact that most doctors, at the time, in the place they live, won't help, thinking the issue is “made up”, manufactured, not real. While this is true of many medical issues before they were studied and widespread, she shares the name of the diagnosis she gives the young girl’s problem, labeling it “endometriosis”. Readers, like me, will shudder at the realization of the young girl’s problem, and pain, along with the lone, unknowing, father (poor man).
However, the simple father is so sweet in the care of his daughter, heating up rocks given to him by the healer, placing them on her body, outside of where her inner female organs lie, to help ease the pain she feels. Such a sweet moment to share between the two, despite the sadness of the situation. Worse, that this simple and loving father cares so much to be all alone raising his daughter and having to do this.
As the book continues with these short stories, readers find more parents dealing with their own history, while trying to give the children they are raising a better life. A father who was raised to “push through, avoid, ignore”, see’s for himself that life is not that simple and wants to pass on more to his own son, ponders just what that solution is. Some are stories of love and loss and grief. The beauty of nature, the wonders of the world...especially Sidle Creek. Jolene McIlwain makes it sound like a wonderful place with simple people. And a worldly place, the stories grounded with the complexities of human nature (no matter how simple the people seem, life is complex, still, for all) that we all have inside us, if we are given the right time, situation or place to think of them and/ or experience them.
Happy Reading!
For instance the first story shared, a father who is raising his young daughter, the mother having left to “follow Jesus”. When she first experiences menstruation, problems ensue, the father, not knowing what to do about the severity of her problem, suggests they get help, the girl wants none, so they go fishing.
After a year, when they turn to the town's proclaimed healer, she claims to personally know the issues, and shares the fact that most doctors, at the time, in the place they live, won't help, thinking the issue is “made up”, manufactured, not real. While this is true of many medical issues before they were studied and widespread, she shares the name of the diagnosis she gives the young girl’s problem, labeling it “endometriosis”. Readers, like me, will shudder at the realization of the young girl’s problem, and pain, along with the lone, unknowing, father (poor man).
However, the simple father is so sweet in the care of his daughter, heating up rocks given to him by the healer, placing them on her body, outside of where her inner female organs lie, to help ease the pain she feels. Such a sweet moment to share between the two, despite the sadness of the situation. Worse, that this simple and loving father cares so much to be all alone raising his daughter and having to do this.
As the book continues with these short stories, readers find more parents dealing with their own history, while trying to give the children they are raising a better life. A father who was raised to “push through, avoid, ignore”, see’s for himself that life is not that simple and wants to pass on more to his own son, ponders just what that solution is. Some are stories of love and loss and grief. The beauty of nature, the wonders of the world...especially Sidle Creek. Jolene McIlwain makes it sound like a wonderful place with simple people. And a worldly place, the stories grounded with the complexities of human nature (no matter how simple the people seem, life is complex, still, for all) that we all have inside us, if we are given the right time, situation or place to think of them and/ or experience them.
Happy Reading!
June 2, 2023
I don't read many short story collections but Sidle Creek, Jolene McIlwain's collection of twenty-two stories all set around the eponymous Sidle Creek in the hills of Appalachia, appealed because of that interconnecting thread of small-town life.
Beautifully written and realised, the stories range in length - the shortest is just over a page long - but all of them address the myths and stereotypes of small-town life with an honest yet sensitive gaze. From stories that explore the rugged beauty of the natural world, to ones that examine the impact of rural poverty, Sidle Creek is a wide-ranging in its themes despite remaining geographically close to the eponymous creek. The creek itself meanders through the stories, drawing together seemingly disparate lives and leaving myths, folklore, and stories in its wake.
As with any short story collection, there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others. 'The Fractal Geometry of Grief', in which a bereaved mathematician processes his grief through his relationship with the landscape around him, was a poignant examination of bereavement and loss. 'Those Red Boots', meanwhile, was the kind of tale you might hear on a true crime podcast, inevitably tragic but compelling nonetheless. 'You Four Are The One', meanwhile, is a joyous coming-of-age story about the power of community, the joy of new life, and the importance of friendship.
At the heart of Sidle Creek is the community of rural Appalachia. The characters we meet in these stories are complex, and their stories are sometimes emotionally challenging or shocking, but they are conjured onto the page with precision and that makes them feel very real. Reading the collection was like drawing back the curtains on this community and peering at all the people going about their daily lives within it. Although working in very different genres, Jolene McIlwain's writing reminds me of the work of Louise Penny, who also has an uncanny ability to fully realise her Three Pines community.
Whilst I can't say that Sidle Creek gripped me, I did find myself looking forward to returning to the places and people that McIlwain had created. Dipping into and out of the collection provided a means of pausing the day and transporting myself to a completely different place. Although some of the stories left me feeling emotionally raw, the tender care and precision with which they are told made Sidle Creek a quietly reflective and lingering read.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Beautifully written and realised, the stories range in length - the shortest is just over a page long - but all of them address the myths and stereotypes of small-town life with an honest yet sensitive gaze. From stories that explore the rugged beauty of the natural world, to ones that examine the impact of rural poverty, Sidle Creek is a wide-ranging in its themes despite remaining geographically close to the eponymous creek. The creek itself meanders through the stories, drawing together seemingly disparate lives and leaving myths, folklore, and stories in its wake.
As with any short story collection, there were some stories that I enjoyed more than others. 'The Fractal Geometry of Grief', in which a bereaved mathematician processes his grief through his relationship with the landscape around him, was a poignant examination of bereavement and loss. 'Those Red Boots', meanwhile, was the kind of tale you might hear on a true crime podcast, inevitably tragic but compelling nonetheless. 'You Four Are The One', meanwhile, is a joyous coming-of-age story about the power of community, the joy of new life, and the importance of friendship.
At the heart of Sidle Creek is the community of rural Appalachia. The characters we meet in these stories are complex, and their stories are sometimes emotionally challenging or shocking, but they are conjured onto the page with precision and that makes them feel very real. Reading the collection was like drawing back the curtains on this community and peering at all the people going about their daily lives within it. Although working in very different genres, Jolene McIlwain's writing reminds me of the work of Louise Penny, who also has an uncanny ability to fully realise her Three Pines community.
Whilst I can't say that Sidle Creek gripped me, I did find myself looking forward to returning to the places and people that McIlwain had created. Dipping into and out of the collection provided a means of pausing the day and transporting myself to a completely different place. Although some of the stories left me feeling emotionally raw, the tender care and precision with which they are told made Sidle Creek a quietly reflective and lingering read.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
June 10, 2023
Set in the ‘timbered and mine-bruised landscape of western Pennsylvania’s Appalachian hills,’ this collection of short stories presents a series of pictures of small town life. The stories are connected by the shared experience of this particular geography, the realities of carving out a life here, the connections to the natural habitat on the doorstep and, if you look carefully you can pick up threads running between them. This is life, realistically but lyrically observed, gritty, with several stories involving difficult themes - grief, miscarriage, animal cruelty..Although the themes are sometimes difficult the writing is exceptional.
Short story collections are often variable, but these were consistently well written and powerfully imagined. I experienced so many different emotions reading them; moved by the story of four school girls who devote a summer to a young mother with a history of miscarriage; horrified by the seasonal arrival of gun happy hunters who not only disturb the peace of the countryside, but that of the village, and the lives of the townspeople.
One story involved a man dealing with the death of his wife. He is a mathematician, whilst his wife was captivated by the wildlife around their cabin. He has only once ventured ‘beyond the manicured landscaped acre surrounding the cabin,’ but in the days after her death he finds ‘center’ in counting random things to ‘pilot his days - ratios of pine squirrels to gray squirrels ashes to Oakes, cirrus vibrates to cirrus duplicates, lobed leaves to spiked.’ And he is visited by a deer. This is hunting season and he builds her a glass room…
Another story I particularly loved featured a couple who met in Vietnam. They both have the gift of divination, both able to read the signs laid out in eggshells…
I know I have hardly begun to peel away the layers, hardly begun to understand everything that is laid out in these stories and I know that a re read will yield further treasure.
For me short stories are the literary equivalent of drinking spirits as opposed to a long drink…The story is concentrated like the alcohol, swift acting, with a hangover you will remember a long time afterwards!
Short story collections are often variable, but these were consistently well written and powerfully imagined. I experienced so many different emotions reading them; moved by the story of four school girls who devote a summer to a young mother with a history of miscarriage; horrified by the seasonal arrival of gun happy hunters who not only disturb the peace of the countryside, but that of the village, and the lives of the townspeople.
One story involved a man dealing with the death of his wife. He is a mathematician, whilst his wife was captivated by the wildlife around their cabin. He has only once ventured ‘beyond the manicured landscaped acre surrounding the cabin,’ but in the days after her death he finds ‘center’ in counting random things to ‘pilot his days - ratios of pine squirrels to gray squirrels ashes to Oakes, cirrus vibrates to cirrus duplicates, lobed leaves to spiked.’ And he is visited by a deer. This is hunting season and he builds her a glass room…
Another story I particularly loved featured a couple who met in Vietnam. They both have the gift of divination, both able to read the signs laid out in eggshells…
I know I have hardly begun to peel away the layers, hardly begun to understand everything that is laid out in these stories and I know that a re read will yield further treasure.
For me short stories are the literary equivalent of drinking spirits as opposed to a long drink…The story is concentrated like the alcohol, swift acting, with a hangover you will remember a long time afterwards!
June 6, 2023
Small town stories are one of my favourite things, in all their disparate glory. This series of stories from Jolene McIlwain forms a collection about life among the mining, farming and logging communities in the hills of Appalachia, western Pennsylvania.
Right from the first story, Sidle Creek which gives the anthology its name, you know you are not going to be treated to cosy tales that weave a romantic picture of the people McIlwain writes so beautifully about. These are tales that conjure up powerful feelings and delve into the gritty depths of real lives, and the trials and tribulations that come with scraping out hard livings, and forming connections with people and places.
The stories take place in homes and work places, among different sorts of communities, and mostly explore knotty themes of isolation, alienation, loss, the class divide, and unresolved trauma. Cowell does not hold back in doing her level best to evoke visceral emotion (something she achieves with aplomb), but there are glimmers of golden nuggets that thrum with love too. For me, the best stories here are ones which spin well-contrived suspense among the grit, with my favourite being Those Red Boots, which has the makings of a cracking TV drama set around the town of Wampum.
These are stories for those who love to push their boundaries into the realms of the discomfitting, which makes them strikingly memorable, and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you close the covers. This is an excellent debut collection, and I look forward to reading much more from Jolene McIlwain.
Right from the first story, Sidle Creek which gives the anthology its name, you know you are not going to be treated to cosy tales that weave a romantic picture of the people McIlwain writes so beautifully about. These are tales that conjure up powerful feelings and delve into the gritty depths of real lives, and the trials and tribulations that come with scraping out hard livings, and forming connections with people and places.
The stories take place in homes and work places, among different sorts of communities, and mostly explore knotty themes of isolation, alienation, loss, the class divide, and unresolved trauma. Cowell does not hold back in doing her level best to evoke visceral emotion (something she achieves with aplomb), but there are glimmers of golden nuggets that thrum with love too. For me, the best stories here are ones which spin well-contrived suspense among the grit, with my favourite being Those Red Boots, which has the makings of a cracking TV drama set around the town of Wampum.
These are stories for those who love to push their boundaries into the realms of the discomfitting, which makes them strikingly memorable, and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you close the covers. This is an excellent debut collection, and I look forward to reading much more from Jolene McIlwain.
March 10, 2024
“Hilly Luther in crocheted vest and gas-stained jeans, that pale dog walker, mostly high on vanilla extract and spray paint, that callused-foot, trivia-memorizing mind unmarried unmoored human always reciting names of every pet along nine streets on the east side of the river, Hilly Luther in the hazy morning sipping green tea spiked with gin, figuring numbers on a napkin, making a list of the names and sins of all the men wicked and wrong she’s bedded with, finally stands up, throws her empty mug into the bin for washing, tips a no-hat-goodbye to the barista, and walks unimpeded by the zigzags of Labradoodles, papillons, and recovery bull terriers, straight to the church with her list. She wants forgiveness for all the things the men did wrong—she wants her priest to grant forgiveness to them publicly at Mass next Sunday.”
— Sidle Creek by Jolene McIlwain
https://a.co/76AuFrP
These expertly crafted short stories take place on both sides of Sidle Creek, and its tributaries. Anyone who appreciates the workings of rural communities, or the good and evil that lurks therein, will be amazed by the skill of this author who characterizes folk of all ages and inclinations in this collection. I am not usually a reader of short stories. I prefer novels with deep character development, but this writer has me convinced that short stories can delve deep into the heart and soul of humanity. I’ve lived a long time, but I’m not so old that I can’t remember the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. I hope that Jolene McIlwain continues to write these truths.
— Sidle Creek by Jolene McIlwain
https://a.co/76AuFrP
These expertly crafted short stories take place on both sides of Sidle Creek, and its tributaries. Anyone who appreciates the workings of rural communities, or the good and evil that lurks therein, will be amazed by the skill of this author who characterizes folk of all ages and inclinations in this collection. I am not usually a reader of short stories. I prefer novels with deep character development, but this writer has me convinced that short stories can delve deep into the heart and soul of humanity. I’ve lived a long time, but I’m not so old that I can’t remember the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly. I hope that Jolene McIlwain continues to write these truths.
January 19, 2024
Incredible book. Amazing writing and story telling. Really get to see the inner lives of characters. Excellent for people who love short stories. Some (many) very heavy parts. Not a breezy beach read. Had to put down for a few days at a time because there are a lot of hard-to-read chapters due to violence (written in detail) and sexual assault (implied).
Many of these stories will stick with me.
Dad dragging steer behind the truck while his son watches to punish the steer for running away.
Girls goes missing. She was killed by a boy she worked with. He sexually assaulted her and when she started running away, he accidentally ran over her with his car. He liked the red boots she wore at the restaurant. Told mostly from the perspective of the restaurant owner.
3 adolescents look after a pregnant woman who has had multiple miscarriages and is once again forced on bed rest. When the baby is born health, the girls feel like the baby is partly their baby too (very sweet and tender).
An older man befriends a doe, thinking it's the spirit of his recently deceased wife. He is bereft when the doe is killed during hunting season.
Many other stories, too. So good, especially if read slowly over a few weeks.
Many of these stories will stick with me.
Dad dragging steer behind the truck while his son watches to punish the steer for running away.
Girls goes missing. She was killed by a boy she worked with. He sexually assaulted her and when she started running away, he accidentally ran over her with his car. He liked the red boots she wore at the restaurant. Told mostly from the perspective of the restaurant owner.
3 adolescents look after a pregnant woman who has had multiple miscarriages and is once again forced on bed rest. When the baby is born health, the girls feel like the baby is partly their baby too (very sweet and tender).
An older man befriends a doe, thinking it's the spirit of his recently deceased wife. He is bereft when the doe is killed during hunting season.
Many other stories, too. So good, especially if read slowly over a few weeks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2023
✨ARC REVIEW - SIDLE CREEK by Jolene McIlwain✨
Thank you to Melville House and Jolene McIlwain for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of her debut novel in exchange for an honest review!
SIDLE CREEK is a hauntingly poetic collection of short stories that explore the lives of people living in the Appalachian area of Western Pennsylvania. I was particularly excited to read this because I grew up around this area; it was kind of nostalgic because of how easy it was to picture the settings and characters.
These stories are truthful about what it can be like to live in rural towns, but I was still surprised at how bleak they were. There were parts where the emotions of the characters were so visceral, it made me want to put the book down! The most common themes are trauma, grief, and class, and they’re explored in places like town halls, forests during game season, and diners. I liked how the stories are intertwined with Sidle Creek as a repeating character. Nature and characters’ connections to it is prominently described and revered in several stories.
My favorites were “You Four Are The One”, “Sostenuto”, “Loosed”, and “The Fractal Geometry of Grief”.
I thought the pace was slowed down by my need to process what I was reading. The content is pretty heavy and I thought “You Four Are The One” was the only story that had upbeat, positive passages. Despite this, each of the main characters were explored with such a tender voice and descriptive nature, each of their conflicts were very compelling and emotional. I believe this is a unique, intimate point of view on what life can be like in Western Pennsylvania, and I appreciate that McIlwain doesn’t sugarcoat what these realities can contain for the people who live there.
Overall, I’d give this novel 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and say that while these stories may not all have happy endings, the explorations of each character were very tender and each plot carefully depicted. I’m happy to have read these stories and look forward to seeing what McIlwain comes up with next!
Thank you to Melville House and Jolene McIlwain for sending me an advanced reader’s copy of her debut novel in exchange for an honest review!
SIDLE CREEK is a hauntingly poetic collection of short stories that explore the lives of people living in the Appalachian area of Western Pennsylvania. I was particularly excited to read this because I grew up around this area; it was kind of nostalgic because of how easy it was to picture the settings and characters.
These stories are truthful about what it can be like to live in rural towns, but I was still surprised at how bleak they were. There were parts where the emotions of the characters were so visceral, it made me want to put the book down! The most common themes are trauma, grief, and class, and they’re explored in places like town halls, forests during game season, and diners. I liked how the stories are intertwined with Sidle Creek as a repeating character. Nature and characters’ connections to it is prominently described and revered in several stories.
My favorites were “You Four Are The One”, “Sostenuto”, “Loosed”, and “The Fractal Geometry of Grief”.
I thought the pace was slowed down by my need to process what I was reading. The content is pretty heavy and I thought “You Four Are The One” was the only story that had upbeat, positive passages. Despite this, each of the main characters were explored with such a tender voice and descriptive nature, each of their conflicts were very compelling and emotional. I believe this is a unique, intimate point of view on what life can be like in Western Pennsylvania, and I appreciate that McIlwain doesn’t sugarcoat what these realities can contain for the people who live there.
Overall, I’d give this novel 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and say that while these stories may not all have happy endings, the explorations of each character were very tender and each plot carefully depicted. I’m happy to have read these stories and look forward to seeing what McIlwain comes up with next!
August 17, 2023
Not only one of the best short story collections I’ve read, but one of the best works of fiction of the decade. McIlwain takes the beautiful and harsh landscapes of Appalachian West Pennsylvania and creates community with the landscape, the creeks and rivers, the wildlife and the wonderfully complex people who live there. They are not all lovable people, and the situations where, especially young people, encounter will tax the readers understanding of right and wrong.
McIlwain is a seasoned writer with a deft hand at descriptive narrative, spot on dialect and dialogue and an imagination that takes stories handed down through myth and generation and paints a picture of America that we don’t often see. She’s been compared to Louise Erdrich, Annie Proulx and others concerned with people in troubled landscapes just trying to get by. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, is another book we loved this year, for bringing people of the mountains forward in ways that help even city dwellers get it. McIlwain clearly “gets it” and this book should jump to the top of your stack for both individual and reading groups alike.
McIlwain is a seasoned writer with a deft hand at descriptive narrative, spot on dialect and dialogue and an imagination that takes stories handed down through myth and generation and paints a picture of America that we don’t often see. She’s been compared to Louise Erdrich, Annie Proulx and others concerned with people in troubled landscapes just trying to get by. Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, is another book we loved this year, for bringing people of the mountains forward in ways that help even city dwellers get it. McIlwain clearly “gets it” and this book should jump to the top of your stack for both individual and reading groups alike.
July 21, 2023
Jolene Mcllwain’s debut short story collection, Sidle Creek, introduces readers to nuanced characters, unforgettable situations, the myriad of ways we live with water, and a fresh, distinct voice backed by heart, research, observations, creativity, and precision. Here there are no wasted words, no indulgences; every detail strengthens a character, bond, tension, or plot. These twenty-two stories are so expertly crafted, they accomplish the nearly impossible: they go places that may haunt us, but they somehow, in ways both unexpected and natural, allow us to witness glimmers of beauty and hope. While it’s true the collection is grounded in a specific place—the Appalachian plateau of western Pennsylvania—over and over I found what is universal: signs of humanity that remind us life can be hard, and at times ugly and scary, but life can also surprise us, showing us how resilient people can be, how desirous they are to do something good, how they rise up when it might have been easier to sink.
January 7, 2025
Short stories set in western Pennsylvania.
Why do short story collections have to be sad or cruel? All the stories except one were either sad or cruel. Ms. McIlwain's writing was fantastic. She sets up her stories beautifully. But they became cliched by the ending because about halfway through each story I knew what was going to happen--someone/something was going to die, be abused, or murdered. The occasional story would just have a sad ending without any outside abuse or cruelty--just life hitting a person or family, feelings hitting a person. STEER, THE LESS SAID, and LOOSED I found to be exceptionally cruel. YOU FOUR ARE THE ONE was the sweetest tale but like THE STEEP SIDE show that collateral damage is not looked at but the youth in these two stories carry the trauma with them for the rest of their lives. SHELL and THOSE RED BOOTS are just plain sad.
I will read this author again because her writing was excellent. I just hope there is something more uplifting in my future reading.
Why do short story collections have to be sad or cruel? All the stories except one were either sad or cruel. Ms. McIlwain's writing was fantastic. She sets up her stories beautifully. But they became cliched by the ending because about halfway through each story I knew what was going to happen--someone/something was going to die, be abused, or murdered. The occasional story would just have a sad ending without any outside abuse or cruelty--just life hitting a person or family, feelings hitting a person. STEER, THE LESS SAID, and LOOSED I found to be exceptionally cruel. YOU FOUR ARE THE ONE was the sweetest tale but like THE STEEP SIDE show that collateral damage is not looked at but the youth in these two stories carry the trauma with them for the rest of their lives. SHELL and THOSE RED BOOTS are just plain sad.
I will read this author again because her writing was excellent. I just hope there is something more uplifting in my future reading.
May 23, 2023
I am a fast reader. I race through good books like someone might snatch them from my hands before I get the chance to finish. That said, I took my time with this one. I found myself taking breaks to contemplate the characters, the regional atmosphere, the Creek. I wanted it to last longer--I wanted MORE stories. Now it has been a little less than a week since I finished reading Sidle Creek, but I am still turning the experience over in my head and going back to the book to read parts again. This was a beautiful (and admittedly dark) foray into the Western Pennsylvania I know from my childhood, illustrated by the sparkling details of the stories. McIlwain does a masterful job of mixing the dark and haunting parts of her stories ( and the characters living them) with a deep understanding of the culture that produces them. This is a book that will stay with me, that I will revisit again and again in the future as a favorite.
January 15, 2024
1. Loosed
2. Those Red Boots
4. You Four Are the One
5. Shell
6. The Steep Side
7. Sidle Creek
8. The Fractual Geometry of Grief
9. Seed to Full
10. An Ever-Fixed Mark
11. Sostenuto
12. Seeds
13. Where Lottie Lived
14. Eminent Domain
15. Drumming
16. The Fourth
17. Angling
18. Steer
19. Oiling the Gun
20. They Didn’t Sound Like Themselves for Us
21. The List
22. Licking the Chocolate Glassine
23. The Less Said
A beautiful collection of short stories.
Would be a five star rating, but I wasn’t such a fan of the shorter stories, which read more like poems and for me personally pales in comparison to the longer stories.
I read an uncorrected proof copy with 23 stories as opposed to the 22 eventually published. I’d love to know which one was left out, and why.
2. Those Red Boots
4. You Four Are the One
5. Shell
6. The Steep Side
7. Sidle Creek
8. The Fractual Geometry of Grief
9. Seed to Full
10. An Ever-Fixed Mark
11. Sostenuto
12. Seeds
13. Where Lottie Lived
14. Eminent Domain
15. Drumming
16. The Fourth
17. Angling
18. Steer
19. Oiling the Gun
20. They Didn’t Sound Like Themselves for Us
21. The List
22. Licking the Chocolate Glassine
23. The Less Said
A beautiful collection of short stories.
Would be a five star rating, but I wasn’t such a fan of the shorter stories, which read more like poems and for me personally pales in comparison to the longer stories.
I read an uncorrected proof copy with 23 stories as opposed to the 22 eventually published. I’d love to know which one was left out, and why.
July 23, 2025
What happens to people when they’re raised with guns? When poverty pushes them to the edge? When men in power let the crimes of other men go unpunished? Where issues concerning the female body are shrouded in silence and mystery? Where there is no room for loss and grief?
Jolene McIlwain doesn’t write to shock or grab our attention with fear. Nor does she write to preach or cast moral judgments. She describes a community, shows us the people who made that world, who live in it with grit and grace, and who leave it a better or worse place than they found it.
Read my full review “Beyond Binary Thinking: Writing Cruelty Without Inflicting Harm” at Craft Literary: https://www.craftliterary.com/2023/11...
Jolene McIlwain doesn’t write to shock or grab our attention with fear. Nor does she write to preach or cast moral judgments. She describes a community, shows us the people who made that world, who live in it with grit and grace, and who leave it a better or worse place than they found it.
Read my full review “Beyond Binary Thinking: Writing Cruelty Without Inflicting Harm” at Craft Literary: https://www.craftliterary.com/2023/11...
July 11, 2023
My latest read and recommendation is a book written by a member of my Sisters in Crime group. Jolene McIlwain’s Sidle Creek came out this year and is published by Melville House. It is a collection of short stories centering around the rural places and people of Pennsylvania. Sidle Creek is filled with 22 expertly crafted short stories. Jolene engulfs you in the lives of her characters and transports you through vivid imagery to the places they call home. She delves into hard issues with grace, understanding and empathy. This book and the stories within will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
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