Kristin B. and Other Stories

All the boys wanted Ginevra King’s attention, including Scott. She was a well-bred, beautiful girl from a wealthy home and was once involved with Scott, who still longs for her. Scott has been commissioned for the war and is leaving his family. Even if he wasn’t very close to his family, he would miss them. Scott dreams of publishing his novel, but things don’t go as planned. Instead, he’s drafted into the army. Scott stumbles on Zelda, a beautiful but lonely girl. As he continues to fall in love with her, he discovers shocking things about her personality and family.

Zelda wants to marry Scott, but her family is against it, as they deem him unfit for their daughter due to his financial and educational status. Scott eventually becomes an author, selling his talent for writing to support his family. Zelda proves to be his muse. But the happy moments don’t last for long. Their marriage begins to deteriorate, leading to affairs and the like. Will Scott be able to save his marriage? Scott’s vice was becoming an alcoholic despite being a brilliant writer, which negatively impacted his marriage.

The next story is that of Kristin, who suffered sexual abuse from a producer who showed interest in her work. Kristin deals with feelings of lack of confidence, shame, and anger. Ever since the incident, she has found it difficult to trust people. A chance meeting with Helms Holden sparks emotions and is the beginning of a love story. Both of them have had troubled times in the past. Kristin is dissatisfied knowing that the person who hurt her is roaming freely, and revenge is the next thing on her mind.

The book reflects the imperfections of our society and the unpredictable nature of life. Scott and Zelda started on a good note, but things soon turned sour. Kristin’s story depicts what most rape victims experience, especially those who never report what was done to them. They continue to suppress the shame and anger, and only a few actually find closure. Her relationship with Holden brought a new light to her life, which shows that there is hope after chaos.

I liked how the characters came alive and were created to be relatable. The author did a great job of portraying their thoughts and emotions vividly and walking readers through the ups and downs of their journey. I noticed the stories were fast-paced, which kept me hooked. Kristin B. and Other Stories by Joseph Raffetto is engaging and refreshing. Although it was fiction, the stories felt real, and the characters were inspired by real-life events. I enjoyed reading it, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction novels.