by Mandy Beaumont
Author Mandy Beaumont curates her words as carefully as she does the stories and the content of this collection. The stories are as brutal as they are beautiful and there is a distinct discomfort in the elegance of some of these experiences, so eloquently placed there for the reader to feel incredibly close to. With each short story, there is a markedly different voice and immersive feel. I felt like I wasn’t sure whose head I was going to be in next and I wasn’t always ready for it. I couldn’t wait for the next unveiling.
Without spoiling what lays ahead of the valuable reading experience you are in for, the warning I can think to give you is that it is akin to the Jessica Jones TV series. There are some who can consume it and freely celebrate its bingeworthiness. There are others who were cautious of the trauma that it spoke to within themselves. There are plenty of captivating dark spaces in Wild Fearless Chests. They are the stories that we spend too much time pretending are rare and impossible or shying away from. They’re difficult because they are raw and she does a remarkable job of realising them on the page.
You will embark on a journey of experiences that are confronting, scarring, defining, and sometimes sweet. They will challenge you to think about the stories that are often not spoken about or given space but many of us will see them reflected in the women and girls around us.
