With a title like Pig, you might imagine an adorable television character like Arnold or the cutesy talking star of children's
literature, such as Babe. No, Pig is not an enchanting tale of a porcine friend. It is a derogatory reference to a woman name Lily, who has
gone by different names over the years - Lilith, Mom, Flower, and Pig, to name
but a few.
Pig is a narrative that comes from Lily's
memories -a woman holding on to too much pain and too many secrets - The entire
novel takes place at her husband Bender's funeral, where she sits alone on a couch
in the corner of a crowded funeral home, desperately clinging to a scrap of
paper clenched in her right hand. She
avoids contact with those around her, keeping to herself, because she holds
more than that scrap of paper - she holds a lot of secrets, including one she's
keeping from herself. Readers will step
into Lily's past but won’t be pleased with everything they learn. Some stories just aren't meant to have happy
endings.
This is a story of domestic abuse, sexuality,
reflection, and loss - and any flicker of joy that may have been shared early
in Lily and Bender’s relationship, vanished before it could even take root and
was replaced with never ending tears and long lasting pain. Readers will learn that despite her husband's
cruelty Lily felt beholden to Bender and was obedient to him as a means of expressing her gratitude to him for
not leaving her after she had an affair.
Yet, Bender did not feel the need to stop verbally or
physically abusing her, though he promised on more than one occasion to do
so. The subject matter is not an easy or
pleasant one to tackle in a storyline.
However, the author managers to present this dark tale through the eyes
of Lily in manner readers are able to endure to its conclusion - and what a
conclusion it is.
Pig is Sbr Martin's second book, which
was honored as a second prize quarterfinalist in the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough
Novel Award Contest. Her first book, In Wake of Water was published in 2011.
Some readers may find the graphic
storyline of domestic abuse to be offensive, and the mature content and
language may not suitable for some readers.
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