We Spread

|| “As passions decrease, character is revealed.”

Iain Reid has a knack for writing slow-burning, low-key books that come across as relatively simple ideas on the surface yet have deep, complex threads that peel away in layers. If you have read “I'm Thinking of Ending Things,” I think you will like this one as well.

Penny, an artist and introvert, is an elderly lady who lives alone and must be escorted to a long-term patient care facility after she falls from a stool and injures her head. It was the wish of her deceased partner that she be transferred to this long-term health unit when she was unable to care for herself. Penny immediately ingratiates herself with the new facility, meets the staff and the residents, and finds her accommodations pleasing, which have a view of a forest.

Not everything is rosy and wonderful. As you can expect, the center is home to some very dark secrets. Why are certain places off-limits? Why does the staff seem to want to maintain her hair and nails constantly? And why are there no privacy locks on any of the doors?

|| “We can't hold onto feelings forever.”

One thing is certain: psychological torment happens to both Penny and the reader. It pin-points our innermost fears, such as aging, and hones its heavy literary guise on regret with a larghetto tempo.

|| “ At what cost am I being protected from my age.”

I should probably mention that the events that happen herein are open to interpretation. That is why I think the book is great. You will certainly have quite a bit of contemplation after you flip the last page.