THE WRENNA by R.M. Francis
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THE WRENNA is more than a place. THE WRENNA echoes with its inhabitants’ voices and history, where Gran brought up her brood who all spread out into the neighbouring streets and raised their own families. The novella’s nameless protagonist guides us through the streets and the years of the estate, telling us stories along the way. We learn how the homes begin to empty and the gangs move in. How the remains of his community – and his own mind – turns cold and dark.
Be aware: you will taste, smell and hear the essence of THE WRENNA long after you have turned the last page. It’s the Wren’s Nest – part housing estate, part nature reserve – it’s the Wrenna to us. You say don’t walk through here at night. You say to be careful. Avoid us. But we are here. Like the frogspawn sticking to the film of algae, we are cells, sucking at light, stunned in our own kind of beauty.
"R. M. Francis weaves his intricate craft in the margins between rural and urban life, connecting the two with a poet’s eye. The Wrenna is tender and brutal. Francis cares about his characters, and so will you."
- Russ Litten |