I am more of a non-fiction reader, but once in a while I will read a novel that just sticks to my soul. Melissa Chadburn’s A Tiny Upward Shove not only sticks to my ribs but haunts me with its thoughtful use of Filipino folklore to tell the personal, harrowing story that parallels that of the author.
When 18-year-old Marina is murdered, she becomes inhabited by an aswang, a mythical vampire-like creature from Filipino folklore. As a result, the aswang absorbs all of Marina’s memories and experiences and becomes a narrator in the story.
It’s not the most comfortable read as we experience Marina’s life devastated from childhood being raised by her troubled and neglectful mother and her grandmother. At the age of 13, she is raped and put into the foster system. Echoing the real-life story of Canadian serial killer Willie Pickton, Marina’s story unpacks the real-world violence against marginalized women.
With the potent trauma, comes heart and soul. Even though Chadburn does not hold back when it comes to exposing the failures of systemic institutions and the horrific consequences of abuse and addiction, there are glimmers of hope as Marina’s journey displays an enormous amount of perseverance, hope, and faith as she fights tooth and nail to find peace, love, acceptance, and align with her true authentic self.
A Tiny Upward Shove navigates through themes of mercy and vengeance as well as the fragility of the human condition through the eyes of Marina – and Chadburn.
Purchase A Tiny Upwards Shove at Bookshop.org.
