Madwoman or spiritualist? The way in which you define Imp will determine the genre in which The Drowning Girl: A Memoir belongs. One view is that Imp is a madwoman, and everything that happens to her can be explained as delusion. Even the fact that Abelyn, Imp’s girlfriend, once saw the mysterious Eva could be explained as Imp’s delusion. However, there are indications in the “Back Pages” at the end of the book that Eva may have, in fact, been supernatural.
The Drowning Girl is an interesting book to read. The author Caitlin R. Kiernan lets us into the mind of India Morgan Phelps (Imp) through writings in Imp’s journal. It’s quite a ride as Imp tries to discover what is real and what isn’t. But the book is not only ramblings by Imp, but also short stories written by her and a constant breaking of the fourth wall, which combine to make this work quite unique.
My only issue, if you can call it that, is confusion as to the genre. Much of the book centers around Imp’s encounter with a naked woman (Eva) by the side of the road. If you believe that Eva is a supernatural creature, it is fantasy. Otherwise, it is literary. And based on Kiernan’s writing, I would have no problem placing it in the literary category. It is beautifully written and focuses directly on Imp and her travels through her own mind. But questions still remain in the mind of the reader: Who or what is Eva? Does she really exist? And if so, how many Evas are there?
Yet, however you define it, it’s well worth a read. Although the back-and-forth accounts of Imp can be confusing, that only brings us more into the mind of a schizophrenic and how she thinks. It’s a wonderful book. Thank you, Ms. Kiernan for allowing us to know Imp.