5 out of 5

…And don’t be so calculated.  Because of the nature of short stories – that is, being short – I often read the last paragraph and then have to sit and think on the construction, which, as it should be – excusing a narrative intended to wander – is generally purposeful, and whether or not it assisted in achieving the goal.  I’m then brought to ponder if I should be thinking on this at all, as ideally any craft can work its magic without you even knowing.  ‘Storm Windows’ is just as calculated as any of the few stories I’ve had the opportunity to read through One Story, but there wasn’t a passage or line that caught me out as obviously part of an agenda or outline.  When I got to the last paragraph, I felt warmed there by the text instead of mainly as a consequence of turning the pages.  This isn’t to say my small bundle of OS’s doesn’t include some excellent shorts; stories that I’d never could’ve predicted I’d enjoy so much.  But I have, thus far, been able to tell at most points that I’m reading a story.  ‘Storm Windows,’ on the other hand, leads you right along from the first paragraph, sparing a wordy setup or dialogue that’s full of bait to rope you in – neither one of these are ‘wrong’ ways to start a story, again, they’re just recognizable devices and thus… yeah.  As Haverty wends us through an odd Christmas full of a large-breasted snowman / woman and feigned death, dropping hints of history that are intriguing without being manipulative, casual but not confusing, at just the moment you feel the tale settling into a recognizable pastiche, there’s a break, and we fast forward.  This will happen again.  The storm windows of the title are aptly called out, an interesting visual tying together the ages-spanning story we’re being told, but one that doesn’t have to take on meaning in order to still be affected by the recognizable feelings churning between the lines.

There’s just enough of everything in ‘Storm Windows.’  Yet again, I can’t claim that this is something I would’ve read based on a description, but Haverty’s take on this one character’s experiences will stand strong amongst a lot of other great writers on my shelf, and I’m curious / hopeful to read more by him.