Speed of Dark is the first novel by American author, Patricia Ricketts. Mary Margaret Phillips has nothing left to live for, so the obvious step is to stop. Drowning in her beloved Lake Michigan is the plan she makes, after going to the Art Institute to visit some paintings, after which she will head to The Shedd, Chicago’s aquarium there on the Lake.

Her plan would suit Mishigami just fine: ever since he got a taste of her as a young girl, when he named her Nibiinabe, he’s been trying to draw her back. The Great Water was dubbed Mishigami by the Oghibbeway people who lived on his shores and respected him, loved him. He has witnessed her childhood trauma, he knows she cares for him, and perhaps, if he takes her, it will draw attention to his plight.

But on the appointed day in March, 2000, Mosely Albright happens to come to Mary Em’s back door. After a night in the woods looking for one of his lost souls, Ol’ Mosely is parched and needs a drink of water, and directions to the train.

Somehow, these two are sharing the train ride to Chicago, Union Station. Both sink into their memories during the trip. Mary Em isn’t sharing her thoughts or worries or guilt with Mosely, but he seems to feel her fear and confusion all the same.

Mary Em watches his charitable act with a fellow passenger, and understands she can trust this man. During a train delay, he takes her to his City Union Mission for a coffee, but before she can make her way to the Art Institute, dramatic events shock and upset her. She surprises herself with an offer, but will it derail her plan?

Ricketts uses three characters to tell the tale: Ol’ Mosely and Mary Em tell their part through straight narratives with flashbacks to earlier times; Mishigami, through the rambling account of his birth and history, offers observations on human behaviour, and laments what has been done to him.

Apart from the epilogue, the main events of the story take place on that one March day, and involve a number of support characters: an old Italian Nona with no filter, a simple-minded man with a clever dog, a street beggar, a wise and warm grandma, a clever and funny son, an ever-engaged neighbour, a scary schizophrenic, and a deaf fugitive all play their part.

Ricketts gives her characters wise words: “Just because the ravens of worry are swirling about your head, doesn’t mean you have to let them make a nest in your hair.” And her descriptive prose is exquisite: “The earth has music for those who listen… He bends his head, catching the sound of the woods. Hears a melody like jazz, syncopated by snap and wind, hoot and click – easy and comfortable.”

Also: “She presses her head against the thick glass again and watches the front of the train gliding on silvery tracks as they move through a curve. Occasionally the train lurches, groaning like an old man trying to get out of a chair. Then it squeaks as though it’s a baby bird chirping for its mother to bring the morning worm. From the whooshing underneath the car’s unmetered clacking sounds comes an occasional bestial roar when it crosses bridges or switches.”

Moving, heart-warming and uplifting, this is an outstanding debut.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Smith Publicity/She Writes Press.

I was hypnotized by this book. The three characters (one inanimate in the form of Lake Michigan) were distinctive and extremely well written I was captivated by the voice of Mishigami. This is a first-rate telling of an intriguing story and would make an excellent book club selection – so much to discuss.

What seems an unlikely premise becomes credible in the skilful hands of Patricia Ricketts. From hopelessness to hope through a most unlikely medium, we see the protagonist’s life and choices challenged and turned around. The characters are intriguing and really make this book what it is.