A Review That Makes Today Feel Like Christmas

I signed onto the computer this morning and saw this review of the third installment of Before The Blood: Bryony Marseilles.

No need to editorialize; this humbling review stands on its own.

"Before the Blood: Bryony Marseilles" (BTB) is prequel to Unland's Bryony Trilogy. In the trilogy, Bryony Marseilles is a background character, a lingering spirit caught between two worlds. After reading it, I found myself wanting to know more.

The tone of the Bryony Trilogy is dark and foreboding; there's a sense of muted horror. BTB is different. It's graceful prose shows the author is not merely, "Matriarch of the Macabre," but writes beautifully in other genres.

Of all the memorable characters in Unland's books, Bryony Marseilles is the most innocent and tragic, and this book makes her eventual fate all the more heartbreaking.

Set in the late 19th Century, Bryony is the daughter of a preacher, Galien Marseilles, and a spinster, Adele Belanger. Though well into middle age, both are dangerously naive. They fall in love and Adele conceives Bryony out of wedlock. Galien adores Adele, but his soul is tortured by his "sin of sexuality." Though he and Adele marry, Galien continues to wallow in guilt over his lust, failing to acknowledge the far more deadly sin of pride.

Adele is a frail, sickly woman, a delicate flower not created to withstand ugly reality. She and Galien spend evenings quoting exchanging opinions about philosophy, but possess few survival skills. As her pregnancy advances, Adele seemingly exists on air, refusing to eat enough to sustain even herself, much less her pregnancy.

The Marseilles travel to a Utopian settlement known as Munsonville. In fact, Munsonville very much reminds me of the hippies setting up communes in the 1960s. The concept of equality and universal love appear idyllic. However, the human hierarchy always prevails. Bryony is born into a world of intellectual misfits, society's rejects, enigmas and outlaws. All seemingly practice vegetarianism and spout lofty ideas.

A frail child, Bryony is less interested in philosophy than she is in Lake Munsonville. When Adele succumbs, Bryony is left an emotional orphan who withdraws into a world where her existence matters. She sees herself as the lake - all powerful, mysterious and benevolent. Unland's poetic prose begin Chapter 3, "She was the lake and the lake was she..." The authors musings rival those of the deepest philosophers. Her poetry paints such a poignant picture of Bryony that you want so very badly to rescue the child.

Galien makes a miserable attempt to raise Bryony, but can't resist self-flagellation and martyrdom. As he mourns his wife, Bryony quietly fades away, sensing he blames her for his agony.

The childless Bertha Parks steps in to rescue Bryony. Though she pays lip service to the "high ideals" of Munsonville, she and her husband, Orville, sneak red meat with no absolutely no pangs of conscience. Bertha learns motherhood from scratch. Unlike Adele, she is tough, practical and a quick learner. Good thing, too, because she has her work cut out for her. While Galien wallows in self-pity, Bertha takes care of business.

Those who have read the trilogy and other books in the series will get the first frisson of alarm when Dr. Gothart makes his appearance in Munsonville. It begins with an unusually accomplished "magician" who entertains the town folk on Halloween. Next, Bryony is frightened by an odd white cat in the local cemetery. Finally, the good doctor makes his appearance. He cures Bryony in a logical yet unsettling way.

Whether Dr. Gothart is a hero or villain is left for the reader to decide. Dr. Gothart, in numerous disguises, makes an appearance throughout the series. Undoubtedly wise, he's an enigma, one capable of creeping the hell out of the reader.

Another supporting character who shines is Maybelle Fisher. The Fishers run a farm. Though they're cordial to the odd denizens of Munsonville, you get the impression they think it's so much poppycock. Maybelle is the quintessential Mother Hen - at least superficially. She plump and cluckety. She's skilled in the womanly arts and she's a breeder. But, read closely and you'll see Maybelle for what she is - a benevolent goddess who brings the bright gift of life to the emotionally maimed. Her touch heals.

Owen Munson - the man who bought and named the land - is also worth a mention. He's mysterious. He reminds me of Merlin the Magician, truly wise, magical, uncomplaining, simple and yet complex. Bryony certainly adores him, and so do I.

I can't say enough about Denise Baran-Unland's writing. I've been reading her books for years now and I'm never disappointed. The depth and hidden meaning keep me coming back. Rarely do I read a book twice. Hers, I've read at least twice, and I always find something I missed.