★★★☆☆ Average
The narrator, a survivor of a hurricane-induced flood, mourns her lost baby and feels that the water is calling to her somehow. (3,000 words; Time: 10m)
"River, Clap Your Hands," by Sheree Renée Thomas [bio] (edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell), appeared in Stories for Chip (RSR review), published on July 1, 2015 by Rosarium Publishing.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Ava gradually realizes that she is meant to be a mermaid, not a human being, and swims away at the end. The story talks about her gills, her child that might not have died at all, her ancestors who came from the water.
Con: It's rather dull, all in all, and none of the interesting questions really gets answered. Did the baby live? Were her ancestors merfolk? It doesn't help that Ava is such a sad, pitiful character that although we feel sorry for her, we don't feel any joy for her either.
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Sheree Renée Thomas Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Con: It's rather dull, all in all, and none of the interesting questions really gets answered. Did the baby live? Were her ancestors merfolk? It doesn't help that Ava is such a sad, pitiful character that although we feel sorry for her, we don't feel any joy for her either.
Other Reviews: Search Web, GoodReads.com
Sheree Renée Thomas Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
Reprinted online at Uncanny 40 (May/June 2021): https://uncannymagazine.com/article/river-clap-your-hands/
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