The Order of Things

by Lynne Hinton

Andy is a university librarian who one summer, checks herself into a psychiatric facility. On her last night there, she finds herself drawn into a conversation with Lathin, the patient in the room next to hers, who is also a prison inmate. Through the course of their evening, Andy finds herself able to find her way out of her despair.

This story has the air of a two-way confessional. Neither Lathin nor Andy can see each other, they speak exclusively through the air vent near the floor of their adjoining rooms. And not being able to see each other makes it easier for both to tell their deepest fears and secrets. Which is of course very true.

It's a good story. We do find out the big issue of Andy's life, but like real life, it doesn't really answer everything. (For instance, the big issue happened to Andy at age 13. But if that was what caused her this despair, how does that explain what happened to her when she was 4? What other thing(s) happened that Andy hasn't confessed yet?) The reader is left at the end wondering what happened to Lathin. Did he find a way to escape? Did he have help? Had he ever really been there at all? While Andy believes that her life is back in order at the end, I personally felt that she was just beginning to put the pieces back together.