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Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
In Loreena's Gift by Colleen M. Story, Loreena Picket is a blind woman who lives with her reverend uncle in a small town. She has an ability to send people to their death by the touch of her hand. Her Uncle Don sees it as a gift from God to help terminally ill people to move into the afterlife. Loreena, on the other hand, isn’t so sure about it, especially when she momentarily gains sight every time she helps those people - she sees what’s waiting for each person on the other side. Some are beautiful visions, but others are dark and frightening.
Loreena's Gift, by its nature, makes us think about the afterlife through the protagonist’s ability and her reluctance to use it, as well as challenging our view about how her uncle and she perceive it. Personally, I agree with how her uncle views it - as a gift to help terminally ill individuals. That said, there’s a fine line between prolonging a person's suffering or keep trying to heal them, a sensitive issue with no simple right or wrong answer in terms of ethical responsibility. It’s easy to empathize with Loreena right away, especially when she’s stuck between two rival gangs after a series of events. The narrative is beautifully vivid and significantly more when Story lets us ‘view’ the world through Loreena’s perspective - “Loreena touched the door frame and found it cold and dusty. The thick rug cradled her shoes…” Simply put, this is a thought-provoking read from Story and I enjoyed the way the concept of the afterlife is delivered.
