The short story Weights and Measures by Jodi Picoult can be found in Stories: All-New Tales Edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

Short Synopsis

A man and his wife who are mourning the loss of their young daughter begin to grow apart in a disturbing way.

My Thoughts on Weights and Measures

I’m probably the only person on planet Earth who hasn’t read something written by Jodi Picoult, so when I saw that she was one of the contributors I was excited. This would be a good way to test the waters, get a feel for her style…and I wasn’t disappointed.

First there is the prose style: smooth and lyrical. Her story was most definitely a character study and not only did each of them come alive, their grief did as well. It’s easy to feel the realness of this story.

And then the fantasy element sneaks up on you. When you realize what’s happening to the man and the woman, you’re forced to pause and let it soak in. Yes, the fantasy element was woven quite nicely into the tapestry of the story.

When I finished reading, the bittersweet story haunted me. It’s beautiful, and somewhat chilling, though nothing overtly frightening actually happens.

Now I know I’ve waited too long to read Picoult. She has officially been moved up on my author wish list.

Final Rating: A