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October 21, 2006
DKA: "Damage" by Jane Lebak
The latest addition to DKA's October issue is a brilliant and moving story by one of our favorite authors. (How do you get to be one of "our favorite authors?" Well, you keep sending us great stuff and be a joy to work with.)
"Damage"
by Jane Lebak
Tease:
"A new human soul is entrusted to the wrong guardian angel. When the unborn baby is diagnosed with a fatal birth defect, the family's decision not to abort ends up having eternal consequences for the baby's guardian."
You may remember Jane's previous stories in DKA:
her award-winning "Even a Stone" and the humorous short "Rent-An-Angel."
(If you missed them, go check them out!)
On a personal note: I love this story! I wasn't sure I would. Abortion is a very volatile and divisive topic. Sometimes just the mere mention of it gets people all uncomfortable, angry and afraid -- no matter what side of the debate they are on.
I guess I'm one of those people because I get anxious whenever the topic comes up. But this story washed over my discomfort and swept me away. The difficult content is so story-specific that it is moving without being inflammatory. And the ending is so brilliant and heart-wrenching and soul-lifting that the payoff is well worth any initial discomfort I might have felt. Truth is, this story gets to me every time I read it.
Posted by Selena at October 21, 2006 08:00 AM