Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, February 2025

“The Swamp Mama’s Taste in Books” by Kim Zarins

Reviewed by Mina

At the beginning of “The Swamp Mama’s Taste in Books” by Kim Zarins, I was irritated by the story’s attempts to be funny. It was when it stopped actively trying to be funny and settled into being a story that it truly became enjoyable. The Swamp Mama and the monk’s bargain becomes a love story to remembering, reading and writing. And a whole new take on hearing a tale from the Swamp Mama’s mouth.