There is a scholar named Rabbi Benay Lappe whose life's work is making accessible the dense texts that underpin Jewish theology, known as the Talmud. The rabbi's admonition to go beyond the surface to where miracles just might be found is what readers of "Inside-Out: Intimate Voices" will find themselves compelled to do. The short stories by Dr. Irene Cairo beckon you in. But reader, don't stop once you reach the back cover. These are stories that reward the reader on the re-read, and even the re-re-read: Cairo's narratives pull the reader into deeper spaces of curiosity.
And then contemplation. The reader becomes a traveler. And travel you will. Cairo crafts stories that lay bare feelings vibrating with intimacy and marked by unabashed truth.
For the most part, her characters on the surface will seem at first recognizable, even familiar; you will likely identify with the sturm und drang that erupt in their varying lives. And lies. But in short order on every page you will encounter complexity and depth that imbues each tale with a sharp freshness, even revelation. The central characters of these stories are encyclopedias of rumination. Cairo puts the mind of each storyteller entirely on view.
Feelings and thoughts are splayed open as if on an anatomist's table. These internal dialogues range from the amusing to the painfully uncomfortable, and as we read, we realize we are listening in on naked intimacies. Some are cringe-worthy, others verge on horror.
All are authentic. In "Breast Biopsy," the second story in the collection, Marianne is not just anxious about the results of her diagnostic procedure, there is no one holding space for her fear. Her husband is away coping with his own unfolding tragedy, standing watch over his dying mother. Her inner monologue lashes out: "Now they say it's a matter of hours β for seven days already. With great economy, Cairo builds layers of emotions. Marianne's fear, abandonment, insecurity, and snark create a rich human portrait β a Cairo trademark.
