A Steaming Mug of Cinnamon Tea in Novel Form – Warm and Comforting, with Just the Right Amount of Kick.
Pastoral is a cozy thriller novel by Osho Winston. We follow Diana, a young woman who was left partially paralyzed by a freak accident in her youth, as she navigates societal pressure to settle down and fall in love with a nice, normal man. Desperate to break the monotony of her life, she takes up a new role at The Little Bee, a beautiful flower shop in town. But is the mysterious and dashing gentleman owner too good to be true? And even if he is as perfect as he seems, is this really the life Diana has always wanted?
“Thick, tall, grass, spaced-out homes, a night sky that still was speckled with stars. There was not as much smog here, so the blue and black stretched out like a stew of the cosmos.”
In Pastoral, Winston tackles some very heavy issues. The exploration of “compulsory heterosexuality” in particular was thoughtful and delicately handled, very authentically representing the lived experience of so many young queer people. For a trigger warning, the book does also feature some brutal bigotry against same-sex relationships and non-binary identifying people, though no slurs are used. This comes from a place of religious hatred, something that is unfortunately all too relatable for many. Still, the novel itself manages to feel like a safe space, making room for authenticity and openheartedness to win out in the end.
“And when there were no more tears to cry, she started baking up a plan.”
The main plot of the novel is an intriguing mystery, making the book difficult to put down. Winston works in subtle hints to the book’s denouement throughout, though they went over this reader’s head, everything fell into place in the final scenes, which were executed perfectly, wrapping the book up in a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.
“Know what’s yours, Leta had told her.”
Pastoral, out now, is available in hardback and paperback formats via Amazon.
