by
Sex and death consume much of thirty-seven-year-old Brett Catlin' s life. Cole, ten years her junior, takes care of the former while her job disposing of roadkill addresses the latter. A cancer diagnosis causes her to question her worth, suspecting the illness is payback for the deaths of her father and sister. Thus begins a challenging journey of alternative healing that she doubts she deserves. Just as Brett surrenders to the prescribed cure, a startling discovery sends her on a more profound exploration of cause and effect. Encounters with animals, both living and dead, help her answer the question: who is worth saving?
When I pull back the shower curtain Cole’s eyes are shut, face tilted to the spray, copper lashes against his cheek. Last month when I went to one of his gigs, I saw his beauty all over again through the upturned faces of the sleek-haired, tight-jeaned young women who aimed their phones at Cole.
He smiles, opens his eyes, and steps to the rear of the tub. I stand under the jet, and he begins to lather my back. Sliding his hands through the space between my torso and arms he cups my breasts. As his hands descend, I spread my legs.
“What’s that?” he says, sounding alarmed.
“What?” He points to a viscous brown-red puddle by my feet.
We both watch droplets of water dapple and disperse the blob.
“Mid-cycle spotting,” I say. I take the soap and begin to wash him.
“Brett.” His voice makes me stop.
“Yes?”
“It doesn’t look like that kind of blood.”
READ MORESwishing the now pink water with one foot, I escort it down the drain.
He points to the inside of my thigh where a dark, almost brown, trickle of blood has begun. “Maybe you should have it checked anyway. Just in case.”
When I soap myself, the water runs clear. “I’m fine,” I say, parting the curtain to step out of the tub.
Of course I’m fine.
COLLAPSEJoanna Acevedo on The Masters Review wrote:"This novel made me think about the people who walk by our side in this life and help us, sometimes with the most basic needs such as giving us shelter when we are scared and vulnerable. The protagonist's aunt is one such person who helped Brett and her mom get back on their feet after a devastating house fire. Fast forward many years, now Brett is thirty-seven. She cleans up roadkill for a living which is a pretty interesting profession. Enter Mel. He's her co-worker and he's a nice man to work with. He's the kind of person who doesn't ask any questions, so Brett has space to breathe and tackle the dead animals and all that sadness she's dragging around. And finally, I just want to give a big shout out to Cole, the beautiful boyfriend in his boxer shorts. Okay, he's much more than that, but whenever he walks into a scene I am sure glad he is there. He has some pretty amazing moments in the story because he knows how to communicate what he's feeling. Brett? Well, let's say she's got a lot of things to work through, and she's not always so great with her explanations. Okay, she's terribly flawed, but that's why she's magnificent in a very human, real sort of way. This story stirs up a lot of things in my heart, including a big appreciation for this author's strong writing and her unflinching look at life."
"Themes of motherhood, sexual abuse, sex addiction, and intimacy are all deeply present in this novel. Brett and the characters around her are all exploring these ideas from different angles, from Nora who desires a child, Cole who thinks that a baby will save his and Brett’s relationship, to Brett who is dealing with the aftermath of childhood trauma and abuse. The novel attacks these problems and concerns in a nuanced and careful way. Ultimately, Wadds has said it all in the title: What The Living Do. This is what human beings do—they are intimate, whether that is as mothers, daughters, lovers, friends or everything in between. This realization allows for growth for Brett, and a natural, satisfying progression throughout the novel.
What The Living Do is Wadds’ debut, but it is surely not going to be her only offering. Her technical skill, ability to manipulate characters, and devotion to interrogate the more difficult aspects of the human psyche have generated an interesting, intellectually vigorous, and emotionally robust novel. Although Brett’s story may be completed for now, this reader is excited to see what tools of the trade Wadds is going to pick up next."
