Afterworld by Anthony Doerr

Anthony Doerr's collection of stories, Memory Wall, is incredible writing. Although some stories are obvious stand-outs, each one is an example of fiction at its strongest. The true test of any short story is how long it lingers in readers' minds after being consumed. Stories such as "Memory Wall", "Afterworld" and "Village 113" will stay with me for a long time.

"Afterworld" deals with the life of an epileptic woman named Esther Gramm who grows up in Germany during the rise of the Nazis and lives out her days in a rural Ohio town. The story cycles rhythmically between Esther's childhood and old age in a way that feels natural. As with all of Doerr's stories, the pace is graceful and structured while never feeling forced. It's hard to describe the tempo of Doerr's stories so I recommend you find these stories for yourself either online or in a hard copy. I wish I could provide a link to an online version.

Esther experiences seizures that speak to her and allow her to experience her own past and what seems to be the memories of other people such as her parents. Even after her memory has deteriorated, Esther's epileptic fits allow her to go back in time to the orphanage in Germany where she grew up. The world wants to classify Esther's epilepsy as a medical problem but she thinks of it as a gift. Esther is truly one in a million. Her epilepsy connects her to the doctor who eventually saves her by taking her away from Germany. The seizures let her see images that fuel her imagination and influence her career as a children's book illustrator. Esther's grandson Robert interviews her to get material for his thesis on World War Two. The seizures may interfere with her moods and make her do strange things, but the story makes a compelling case that they are more good than bad. Without them, Esther is just another girl. In many ways Esther's epilepsy is a crucial aspect of the story.

"Afterworld" is the kind of story that affects you mentally and emotionally. Esther and the girls living in their orphanage are innocent and really have no idea that death is right around the corner. Thankfully, the story omits any portion of the girls' lives post-orphanage. Memories live in our minds until our minds grow old. It's important that some memories become immortalized in some way or another because humanity can lose important lessons. Doerr's Memory Wall is a compelling examination of how memory works.

Buy Memory Wall here:

https://amzn.to/2B6mwDm