by Dennis Dalman
Despite her young age, Christine knows all the right questions, but the answers she gets in her village of Palim do not satisfy her. Not at all.
It seems to her most of the residents in the village are restricted from the possibilities of living full lives because of strictures imposed by the local priest and his insistence on rigid orthodoxies summed up by the hope of Heaven, the fear of Hell.
That storyline is the theme of a new novel entitled “Skipping Church For Vampires,” written by Anja Wuolu, who lives in St. Paul with her significant other, artist Brandon John. Wuolu is a multiple-award-winning community editor for the “Sun” newspapers in the Twin Cities. Born in Morris, she grew up in St. Joseph, raised as a Catholic. She studied at St. John’s Prep School and the College of St. Benedict. A couple of years ago, Wuolu worked many months as a reporter for the Newsleaders. She has published two warmly-received books of poetry: “Space Between Chapters” and “fLaws: Poetic Advocacy for the Vulnerable.”
Her debut novel, “Skipping Church for Vampires” is in many ways a strange – at times disturbing – book. It reads somewhat like a neo-feminist fable crossed with a dark folk tale by the Brothers Grimm – for example, “Little Red Riding Hood” in which a dear bedridden Granny is, in fact, a Big Bad Wolf in disguise.
The book’s dark and sometimes sinister mood also recalls the strict Puritanism of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter,” in which a woman (along with her young daughter) are banished from town to live in the deep, dark woods because of the sin of adultery.
Among the novel’s themes are religious interference with healthcare, gender and sexuality, abortion, medical aid in dying, freedom, religious doubts, family and community.
Palim is a village of unspecified time and place, which helps define its folk-tale/allegorical ambience. The novel’s main character, Christine, is a bread baker in her father’s shop. Other characters include Susanna, who is Christine’s best friend; a midwife; a sinister priest; lots of townspeople, and (yikes!) a vampire named Maggie, who lives in the deep, dark forest.
Now and then, young Christine and friend Susanna stroll off into a place in the forest where they enjoy a romantic fling that includes some sexual dalliances. Susanna is convinced by others to marry a carpenter, which she does, gets pregnant and has a baby. Christine is depressed that she and Susanna have lost their bond, but they do remain friends and confidantes.
Throughout the novel, Christine keeps wondering why getting married, getting pregnant and having more babies is practically a commandment in Palim, preached incessantly by the priest and his true believers. The midwife, after all, is a major pillar of the village because she is so vital in helping birth babies. On one shocking day, the church burns down and the midwife dies in the fire – a fire that was set by the priest so the villagers would build him a new church.
Without a midwife, a sense of panic sweeps through the town. Meantime, Christine meets a man, and she too becomes pregnant. Months later, while walking in the “forbidden woods” where the Devil allegedly resides, she meets Maggie, a vampire.
The second half of “Skipping Church for Vampires” is very dark with cartoon-like episodes of Gothic horror with the vampire orchestrating many of the surrealistic goings-on. But Maggie, ironically, is something of a “good” vampire because she helps avenge some of the dark deeds committed in Palim as she offers the options for healthier life choices. To say more than that would be a “spoiler” for readers. Because of its sometimes gruesome passages, this reviewer would not recommend the novel for young readers.
The novel is illustrated with stylized (starkly simple but effective) line drawings by Brandon John, Wuolu’s significant other.
In a press release, Wuolu stated the following to explain her impetus for writing her novel:
“Religion is a tool, it’s like a shovel. You can bash someone over the head with it or you can plant your own garden. Although there are many excellent folks out there gardening away, there are also many who cause harm in the name of their faith . . . The book was originally a collection of poems entitled ‘Meant to be Happy and then Meant to be Dead’.”
To order a copy of “Skipping Church for Vampires,” visit the following site: row7.squarespace.com.
Poet and now novelist Anja Wuolu holds her debut novel “Skipping Church for Vampires.” The book, written in the style of a Gothic folk tale, explores how rigidly imposed religious orthodoxies can stunt human lives.
