review of I Am the Mask Maker and Other Stories, Rhiannon Lewis (Victorina Press)

Lambert, Zoe (2022) review of I Am the Mask Maker and Other Stories, Rhiannon Lewis (Victorina Press). New Welsh Review. ISSN 0954-2116

Abstract

The pleasures of reading The Mask Maker reside in how they work towards change or resolution; they are not merely slices of life. Unusually for a collection, many stories gesture towards hopeful, positive endings, which is tricky without resorting to sentimental cosiness or a sense of happiness being unearned. Lewis achieves this here, especially in ‘Oh, Hanami’, which makes a refreshing contribution to the growing field of climate fiction.