Girl

I held my breath the whole time I was reading Wendy Jett's book Girl. The unflinching eye of the narrator (Girl) records a simple but dramatic country world: her mama's faith, her daddy's demon seed, her brother's magical sign. In honest and captivating language, Jett weaves a mixture of story, poem, song, and recipe. The result is a compelling and heartfelt story where the underlying tension builds beautifully to an unexpected end. Wendy Jett is a born writer, poet, and all around marvelous storyteller. Exhale and read again.

Jett's unique storytelling seamlessly blends monologue, poetry, and even recipes to create a strong voice that speaks straight to the hearts of readers. Each entry in Girl stands alone, but together as a whole they tell the powerful story of Girl as she navigates themes of identity, self-worth, trauma, family, and survival. Not a single word is wasted in this haunting book, and what is left unsaid becomes equally as powerful as the words printed on the page. Jett has created a cast of characters and a world that remain vivid long after the last page is read. Readers will want to pick up Girl again and again to read in its entirety, or to open to a random page and savor the poetic writing of this finely-crafted story.

Wendy Jett's debut collection, Girl, defies definition. The author cleverly employs short prose vignettes, poetry, prayer, recipes, lullaby and song lyrics to weave an intimate tale told in the voice of a young girl. The story crescendos into catastrophe, skillfully hinted at but never specified, which plunges the family into despair and sorrow. But true to form, the mother tells girl the faith of a coming rainbow is what gets us through the storm. I confess I was moved to tears by this masterful collection. Girl is authentic, mystical, tender, completely unique and a treasure to read. Brava Wendy! Brava!