Book Review: A Love Refracted in a Stream

Reviewed by Elizabeth Zender

A stylish & immersive stroll down memory lane

Enter the frenetic mind of Crayton R. Chessman, otherwise known as “Crate,” a thirty-something man delving into his past. Crate is a lonely guy who has been dealt a tough hand, something he acknowledges directly. A Love Refracted In A Stream is his fictional memoir. Within these pages, the reader explores Crate’s loves, losses, and intricate thoughts as he tries to understand his life. Fueled largely by the death of his brother, our narrator is on a spiraling, introspective path to find meaning.

A self-proclaimed cynic, Crate explains that he feels his body is only good for holding and storing his organs; he feels that he is “a crate or a box—nothing exceptionally unique.” This view of himself seems to be a self-fulfilling prophecy in the beginning. As the reader journeys alongside Crate, it is plain to see that he is full of questions, ideas, and complexities. Crate lived with and cared for his schizophrenic brother, Raynold, and the most obvious thing about our narrator is that he loved him. After his death, Crate is shattered and this is where we join him in his story. 

In a style reminiscent of J.D. Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye, Hanson explores themes of mental illness, skepticism, and the familiar struggle of making connections. The storytelling is disjointed; we feel Crate’s feelings the way he does. There is a desperation in his voice. The desire to be seen and to be loved in the way he saw and loved his brother is apparent. I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in this style. While dizzying at times, it creates the effect of listening to someone recount their most painful memories while trying to keep the hurt at bay. Crate seems less interested in feeling his feelings and more intrigued by finding answers that could help him get out of his head. I love the complexity here.

In Crate, we see ourselves: the criticizing internal voice, the desire to be known, and the fear of letting others in. Hanson masterfully places the reader in a space where it is comfortable to dig deep into ourselves and find our own answers. With a style so thought-provoking your mind will be reeling, this book could be exactly what you’re looking. Read it for yourself; you’ll see. I certainly explored my own desires to take the time to reflect while reading, and I think it would be good for you too.

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