Strange Horizons, January 4, 2021
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The narrator of “Yearning” by Maya Beck is a black sharecropper in the American South not long after emancipation. He has the ability to perceive the lives of the ancestors and descendants of himself and others, and to share these with the persons involved. The son of the white landowner comes to him, asking for a vision. Their shared perception reveals a common heritage and prospects for the future.
The author elevates what might have been a familiar account of the evils of racism by offering the reader a truly inspiring conclusion of hope and joy. The story is written in a clear and vivid style, combining rich imagery with fully developed characters.
Victoria Silverwolf received an e-mail from a high school friend today.