Silhouette

by

Paul G. Swingle

Will a chance connection across an urban boulevard bring two lonely strangers a happy ending?

Silhouette by author Paul G. Swingle is a wonderful gem of a novella that, once read, will not be soon forgotten. Occurring over a period of little more than a week’s time, it is the story of two lonely people coming to terms with their condition and talking themselves up to remedy the situation with a simple wave. 

I was immediately drawn to the story when the main character, Jim, described how Gladys caught his attention. He was out walking his dog, Gus, under a full moon when he was surprised to see the folded tabletop umbrella on the rooftop patio of the apartment building from his move. Until the small movement caught his eye, he hadn’t paid the dark figure up above any overt attention; it was just part of the background. And at first, he questioned whether he’d seen any movement at all. But, without a breath of a breeze to cause something like that to flutter, he suddenly realized that all this time, it had been a woman standing at the railing, perhaps watching the sunset, but he thought she was observing him. Gladys, who had until now been dismissed as patio furniture, was, in actuality, watching Jim walk his dog. In fact, she had noted the regularity of their walks and had been timing her rooftop sojourns to coincide with their schedule to observe, share, and speculate about the unknown pair. 

Each one of the pair’s inner monologues soon expanded to include the mysterious “other.” Jim talks to Gus about his desire to validate the connection with the woman on the roof with a simple wave but wavers, unsure of how it would be received. Gladys, too, cannot bring herself to make a deliberate overture either. With each passing walk, readers learn of their deep inner turmoil and need to reach out in their silent, shared misery, even as one party’s thoughts turn to a darker, more permanent resolution. 

I recommend SILHOUETTE to readers of literary fiction. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.