This is a sad story, dealing with two parents’ grief over losing their child: it’s a dangerous read for any parent. Do not attempt if you are feeling fragile.
That said, it is a very well written tale that totally lives up to the remit of the anthology it is published in: stories that keep you saying “…and then what happened?”
This story is contemporary, realistic fiction that veers into magical realism in a way I thought really fitted with the enormity of the subject. There is also a lovely helping of arcane knowledge (in this case about weights and measures) that made me happy.
My only complaint is that, while I liked the ending, I felt it swooped in a little too quickly.
I give this story an A. It’s quite moving. So did the loss make the mother become “larger than life” (as a mother) and the father diminish as man and retreat into his daughter’s world due to their love for their child?