Back in February JoAnn of Lakeside Musings reviewed The Farmer’s Children by Elizabeth Bishop and I was quite intrigued. The story isn’t anywhere on-line but likely my library had the book JoAnn had found it in, The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike. It originally was published in Harpers Bazaar in 1949.
They want to gather up blankets to bring because it is bitterly cold but their step mom tells them there are already blankets that Judd uses, in the barn. However, when they arrived, the blankets are nowhere to be found. Instead the boys cover themselves with hay and cuddle up for the night.
The story starts out innocent enough but as the boys walk to the barn, leaving a trail of bread combs to find their way back in the early morning before barn, the story turns foreboding. You can tell the boys are scared and the barn doesn’t provide much protection from the cold. Elizabeth Bishop is subtle yet effective in her written and in building up the tension. Recommended!
