Between Before and After
Jessica Stilling
SBN-13: 9781955065665
Publisher: DX Varos Publishing
Publication date: 11/08/2022
Pages: 470
Synopsis: Indie movie director Sebastian Foster has found his niche making movies based on the award-winning novels written by his mother, although they are estranged. However his latest film, based loosely on the tragic death of his sister as a child, opens up old wounds best left under bandages. Told in two concurrent timelines, now and when Sebastian was a teen, some twenty years ago, this story of learning unknown truths unwinds in streets of Paris, where Sebastian lived as a teen and where he has returned to to make his picture.
I received a copy of this book through the generosity of the author
Review: Between Before and After
This book has the perfect title!
I love the setting and appreciate the historical details.
Two concurrent timelines direct the stream of consciousness which is unpredictable as this book begins in the present day and reverts back to a 1994 Paris.
The non-linear structure makes for a beautiful story of how children hear and remember their depth of attachment to love.
Depicting an overwhelming sense of abandonment and the agonizing pain of bereavement, the story is a haunting reminder there is no timeline for how long grief lasts.
In the process of making of Sebastian's movie, we see how separation turns into a reunion.
About the Author
Jessica Stilling is a Hugo nominated and EVVY Award winning author of ten novels, five literary novels under the pen name Jessica Stilling and five young adult titles under the pen name JM Stephen. She has published work in Ms. Magazine, Bust Magazine, The Writer Magazine, The Warwick Review and Wasafiri. She has taught creative writing at The Gotham Writers Workshop, The State University of New York and the City University of New York and the New School.