Photographs of Emily and other stories - Annalisa Crawford - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Annalisa Crawford

GENRE: Story Collection, Dark Literary Fiction

PUBLICATION DATE: July 24, 2026

RATING: 4.25 stars

In a Nutshell: An indie collection comprising one novella and three short stories. Excellent atmosphere and lyrical writing. Dark and haunting. Much recommended.

I've been a fan of this author ever since I read her story collection titled "The Clock in My Mother's House and Other Stories." Since then, I've read three more of her works and enjoyed all of them. Safe to say that I now pick up an Annalisa Crawford work without even reading the blurb. A risky strategy, but with the right author, the reward is almost always assured. This latest book justifies my faith in her writing.

The collection comprises one novella and three short stories. The novella takes up about 65% of the book.

The mood in all four entries is somewhat similar: melancholic and haunting. The stories circulate around the same core topics of personal loss, grief, mental health struggles, and the difficulty of moving on. The writing is also in the author's typical style: poetic without feeling verbose and introspective without resorting to rambling. Creating a vivid atmosphere is her strength, and she uses it to the fullest in these stories.

The content, however, isn't the same. Each tale has a distinct storyline despite the similarity in theme. The protagonists appear to be going through the same kind of challenges, until we read ahead and discover the surprises in store.

The plot structure is not chronological. All the four entries begin with a particular scene, and then the timeline shifts into the past to provide background context. The narrative thread then keeps shifting across timeframes, never abruptly but in neatly delineated sections. Concentration is required to keep track of the active timeline and fit in the jigsaw pieces from the past.

All the above points ensure that this book isn't a light or quick read, even though it has just 136 pages. But if you are in the mood to proceed through the journey with care and focus, to invest time in the characters and the writing, to experience a melancholic feel through dark and/or emotional topics, and to wait for the plot to unfurl than to seek instant gratification, this collection will suit you well.

Given the dominant mood and theme, it's to be expected that the endings also match the tone of the story. None of the stories have a neat HEA finish. Rather, the stories stop at a point that leaves us wondering what might have happened next. Anyone who wishes closure from short fiction might not enjoy these endings, but to me, three of the four endings were bang on target as they suited the vibe of the overall plot so well.

As always, I rated each entry individually. Except for the last story, the others were perfect for my reading tastes. As there are only four works in this collection, here's a brief review on each.

NOVELLA: Photographs of Emily - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

Haunting. Sad. Atmospheric. Lyrical. All demonstrated to full capacity in this novella without turning it melodramatic. This character-oriented story is gripping from the start even though it has more reminiscing than action. I love how it is paranormal without being scary. The plot gives rise to multiple hypothetical what-if-I-were-there situations, further enhancing its impact. I docked off half a star only because I was hoping for more of Emily.

STORY 1: Woman Lies In Field, Sees Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Literally what the title says. But with such nuances that I was engrossed from start to end. A beautiful, soulful story of loss and new beginnings. I loved not just the writing but also the structuring.

STORY 2: The Day Closes In - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What started off as a confusing story ended up as one of the most creative pieces of short fiction I've ever read. This story reminded me why this author is among my favourite indie writers. I won't go into details for this as it relies on going in blind. But this is the kind of the story that makes you want to go right back to the start and see what you missed.

STORY 3: Everything Interesting That Happens, Happens When I’m Not Here - ⭐⭐✨

This story truly grabbed me till the penultimate scene, but the final scene stumped me. Sometimes, we can figure out why a story didn't work for us. But in this case, I genuinely think I missed out on something the story was trying to convey between the lines.

All in all, I mostly loved this beautifully written collection. The characters, the writing, the storylines, and the broody vibes all suited my mood well. I hope to reread the last story after a couple of months to see if I can figure it out better.

Definitely recommended to readers who enjoy character-driven short fiction and would love to support a truly talented indie author.

4.25 stars, based on the average of my rating for each story but giving greater weightage for the novella.

My thanks to author Annalisa Crawford for providing with a complimentary review copy of “Photographs of Emily”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.