Abstract

The protagonists in the stories of this collection of short fiction confront variations of the same existential question: How—if at all—are we to carry our life’s burdens? Can we unburden ourselves of them? If so, at what cost? What role do those with whom we share our lives play in the carrying of these burdens with us? The title, Yours to Carry, echoes this theme and is overtly explored in the last two stories of the collection. At the same time, as a work of literary fiction, the title suggests to readers that something—namely, the book they now hold in their hands—has been unburdened upon them by the author. The reader may choose to pick it up—or not—but is given the terms of the exchange at the outset.