Child of Light, Jesi Bender: Excerpt
Child of Light Jesi Bender
Thirteen-year-old Ambrétte Memenon has lived her entire life estranged from her wealthy mother, career-minded father, and older brother Modeste. After a series of financial failures, the family is forced to reunite in rural upstate NY in the Spring of 1896. Together in the new house but basically strangers, the family struggles to understand each other. Ambrétte endeavors to connect to her parents through their interests (Spiritualism for her Maman and electricity for her Papa). As she works towards better understanding, Ambrétte is drawn into a deep abyss of the unknown as she learns more about both death and the invisible pulse of the spirit.
EXCERPT
Conte du Bâtard
For the first time that summer, Ambrétte and Celeste had gone a few days without seeing each other. Reaching inside, she found Celeste’s letter and it read— My daddy is related to Adam & Eve.
But he ain’t no Cane. He’s Surely Able. Able to see, able to teach, able to work Magik.
I have read everything I can about my daddy. Ms. Wickwire would rather I read the bible. But I can not. I have no interest. May be I’m wikkid.
My daddy—He traveled all over world and saw many things. He learned directly from priests on far off islands. And He was a friend to many important men. He taught them to see far beyond theirself.
He was only in utica a short time but he wrote his best book here. Here he met an Irish washerWoman, who worked at a hotel. She must be my Mother. She might still be here. I do not care. The most important thing about her was that she knew my daddy.
My daddy knew many things before other people did.
He learned to read the spirit like a book. He got to travel only
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because his mother died and his father was nowhere to be found.
When he saw her death, his Spirit took to the sea.
My daddy is related to Adam & Eve but he’s still a bastard.
Just like me.
I think of my grandfather leaving and then my grandmother leaving and then my daddy leaving.
Mustn’t it be so nice to be that free?
—
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Jesi Bender is the author of the chapbook Dangerous Women (dancing girl press 2022), the play Kinderkrankenhaus (Sagging Meniscus 2021), and the novel The Book of the Last Word (Whiskey Tit 2019). The Brooklyn production of Kinderkrankenhaus was a top-five finalist for the BroadwayWorld’s Best Off-Broadway Play 2023. Her shorter work has appeared in Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Denver Quarterly, FENCE, and Sleepingfish, among others. She als
Category: Contemporary Women Writers
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