The protagonist of Eden Royce’s Psychopomp and Circumstance, Phaedra St. Margaret is known as Phee, which challenged the way I pronounced ‘Phaedra’ in my head.
The St. Margarets are a rich Reconstruction era rich Black family. They are made of overbearing mother, passive father, and wilful daughter – Phee – who unwillingly goes to Get a Husband bustle dress dance parties.
At the old age of 21, Phee is ready to stop going to these parties, stop getting courted, and go do her own thing, like her beloved free-spirited Aunt Cleo.
I can’t think of a single story I’ve actually consumed with a setup like this, but it was still pretty familiar.
Luckily, Phee gets an out. Unluckily, that out is planning her aunt’s funeral after Cleo’s surprise death.
And then the story stops being one I’ve heard. The funeral (pomping) is a big ass deal. Phee could get jailed for doing a bad job? It’s legally binding to tell a bird you’ll pomp? There were clear signs that this wasn’t the real world, starting and not ending with the family living in New Charleston. But until the threat of incarceration, I was able to match their world to mine.
Aunt Cleo is estranged from the rest of the family, so Phee is alone in Cleo’s house to plan the funeral, aka homecoming. And this is when things get creepy and the story starts. Not that there’s much of a story. It’s mostly emotions and grief thoughts.
Cleo’s house is ominous. Phee sees reflections in mirrors and water; she finds hair tapestries, crabs, and weird doors that won’t open.
Funeral director/circus ringleaders courted Phee like pushy roof salesmen and all but one clearly cannot be trusted. Does that mean the one is trustworthy though?
In her aunt’s home, Phee gets overwhelmed. She considers risking incarceration by bowing out. The jail thing makes a bit more sense as the story continues. Death with dignity and peace is very important in this magic world.
Eventually peace overtakes the ominous feeling. Although ‘eventually’ can’t take that long because the book is less than 200 pages.
I look forward to seeing what else Royce has written.