As I plow through the list of the 2020 Nebula Winners, I was very happy to see that Cat Rambo had won for Carpe Glitter.  I hadn’t read it yet, but I had met her at the Nebula Conference last year and had taken a couple of her online courses, which I recommend.  Carpe Glitter was the winner of the novelette category, and now that I’ve read it, I understand why.

Persephone Aim finds more than she bargained for when she inherits her grandmother’s house and everything in it. A former magician and hoarder, her grandmother has left Persephone the unenviable duty of sorting through her mess. The task becomes more complicated when federal agents show up with questions and her estranged mother decides she wants to help.  But when Persephone discovers a ghost in a jar and a magical relic from World War II hidden in the house, she begins to realize that grandma has more secrets than she ever imagined.

This was a very immersive and interesting character piece. The dysfunctionality of Persephone’s family and the cause of it were unexpected but fit in perfectly with the world the author created.  I kept wondering how the paranormal/magical elements would show up as they came later in the story than I had expected; however, it was not an issue.  The universe Ms. Rambo constructed assumed that magic was part of the natural order of things.  I thought the novelette was an excellent example of family dynamics at play.

I’d like to give a big round of applause to the author as she reminds us that diving deep into relationships is what makes #StoriesMatter.

Creative Team: Cat Rambo (author)
Publisher: Meerkat Shorts
Click here to purchase.