Author Marie Ryan Connelly requested that I read and review The Manuscript which is a 53 page short story. She made it available to me through Net Galley. I was able to read The Manuscript in a few hours and am now posting the review.
So there is a manuscript that is at the center of this story. It was written in the 1340's by Ibn al-Jatib. He is an actual historical personage. For more information about him see this web page.
In Conolly's short story, there are students who are reading Ibn al-Jatib's manuscript together. When they reach the end of the manuscript, the story is finished. Where do we go from there?
We'll need to know something about the history of the Nasrid Sultans who are the relatives of Fátima , the story's protagonist. Although this is a short story, beneath the tale's surface lies an extensive context that is rooted in centuries of Spanish history. The Nasrids ruled Granada from 1230 until 1492 when the last of the Nasrids was exiled to Fez in Morocco.
The Alhambra in Spain was built by the Nasrid Sultans. That's historical. Connelly's fictional story has al-Jatib's manuscript being found under the fountain in the Court of Lions at the Alhambra. This didn't happen, but below is the real location where it didn't happen.
Now let's explore the mark of the tree on a person's neck which proves that someone is a Nasrid in Connelly's story. Protagonist Fátima calls it a curse. Why is it a curse? Why can't it be a blessing? It's all a matter of your worldview. I see a tree as a thing of beauty. I believe that someone born with a tree blooming on his or her body has been blessed. For me, this was a key insight that gave me a deeper appreciation of "The Manuscript".
Sometimes a story opens a door. A reader can choose to go through that door, or close it behind them. I went through the door and what I found was rewarding. I learned unexpected things. You might also learn something from "The Manuscript by Marie Ryan Connelly.
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