Silver Water

First of all, I LOVED reading this story. Silver Water was unlike much of what I've read before. Bloom does an incredible job of developing character. Interestingly, to me this story seems to flow over so much time, and yet the story doesn't seem to drag on because Bloom uses such interesting and key moments to highlight to further the conflict and development of characters. One of the most helpful techniques Bloom uses is to give more depth to a certain character by actually describing other characters in the story. The part where Rose's family is laughing and taking her side when they are in family therapy is a good example of this and helps to characterize Rose as an individual who has a lot of love and support from her family (even though they may enable her illness). Furthermore, the reader sees a family unit standing in solidarity with one another. Near the end when the mother refers to her daughters as "warrior queens" not only characterizes the daughters as strong, independent, even misunderstood women, but also the mother as a women who is strong in the face of great heartache to withstand not only the death of her daughter but also having to take care of her mentally ill daughter for a lengthy period of time. Bloom also uses dialogue very well. There are so many short bursts of dialogue or even individual expressions that crystallize these characters in a very special way. The section near the beginning where the mother tells her daughter that she will never go crazy, even if she wanted to, is so very telling of both characters. There are so many other moments, too, in this short story that I loved so much. The ending was so sad and beautiful. "Warrior queens" is by far my new favorite phrase. And the image of Rose rubbing her breasts as a way to greet her new therapists just makes me giggle. You go, girl.