Crayton Chessman would like to be called “Crate.” He sees himself as more of a container than a person; and, in A LOVE REFRACTED IN A STREAM, he has begun to unpack himself. Ostensibly this fictional memoir is written as a tribute to his deceased brother, Raynold. However, as the narrative progresses, it becomes clear that Crate’s grief is in response to a loss far more complex. The book is not written in any sort of straight line. Rather, it’s a stream-of-consciousness memory dump. One minute, Crate is expounding on the nature of art and poetry; the next, he’s deep in a narrative about one of Raynold’s lady friends. It would not, however, be fair to say there’s no rhyme or reason to Crate’s ramblings. There is, in fact, plenty of both. Crate’s narrative jumps smoothly from idea to idea in a way that much stream-of-consciousness literature fails to master. It feels more like a one-sided conversation than a brain dump. The tail of one idea leads to the beginning of another with at least some degree of sense.
Author Christopher Kenneth Hanson gives Crate a likable voice that approaches every topic with, at most, a casual tone: “Perhaps, I am in desperate need of more therapy. Well, when all is said and done, perhaps writing will be my therapy. It is true that the more I read, the more I feel healthy and inspired.” When he uses a later chapter as a landing space for an unfinished story, and a later one still to describe a strange and involved dream, he does so politely—hoping the reader doesn’t mind. He’s also open about difficult topics, Raynold’s schizophrenia in particular. However, as the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Crate is dealing with issues of his own—some of which he’s not even aware of. To give away the end of Crate’s journey would be a disservice to new readers, who will be left with a compelling and personal look at grief, mental health, and coming of age.
A LOVE REFRACTED IN A STREAM starts very conversationally, but rewards readers who sit by Crate to hear the entirety of his story. In between the drug-laced museum visits, road trips, and strange dreams is a deeply personal journey—one that ends with quiet revelations shared between reader and narrator.
While A LOVE REFRACTED IN A STREAM initially appears to have no clear destination, Christopher Kenneth Hanson’s rambling narrative coalesces into a compelling tale of love, self, and the pursuit of art.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader