A couple of years ago, I read ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ by Iain Reid despite having watched its movie adaptation and not liking it very much. A story about an unnamed woman dating a dullish man called Jake for about six weeks when the two decide to go visit Jake’s parents, it was dark and creepy. I had bought the book because I had fallen in love with the cover but I actually ended up enjoying it quite a bit. 

So, I was excited to stumble upon another book by the author. ‘We Spread’ is a recent release—it came out last year. I’m Thinking of Ending Things was dialogue driven, ‘We Spread’  a lot less so. But despite the different writing styles, Reid knows how to captivate his readers. 

‘We Spread’  is a story of a widow who finds herself at a strange care home where time seems to pass quickly. At the beginning of the story, Penny lives alone in an apartment that she shared with her husband for many years. But she falls and injures herself when trying to change a lightbulb and finds herself being taken to a private care facility, Six Cedars, when she regains consciousness. Apparently, her husband had made the arrangements for her years ago. Her memory is failing her, so she can’t remember agreeing to it. 

Initially, she’s skeptical and wants to move back into her apartment. She thinks she’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But she slowly starts to adjust to life at the facility—she has people her own age to talk to and isn’t lonely anymore. The facility’s manager, Shelly, claims she has a background in science that makes it possible for her to provide top-notch care for older people. She seems to really care about Six Cedar’s six residents. But something feels off to Penny and she starts wondering if Shelly’s motives are actually driven by something sinister. 

‘We Spread’  is a quick read. The chapters are short, some just a page long. But its message about identity and aging makes you want to slow down and take your time. I have to admit it’s not an easy book. There were times when I had to pause and ponder over what I had just read or go back a couple of pages to make sense of things. The book is dedicated to Reid’s grandmother, who died in a care facility when she was 101, after having lived there for two years. Despite its horror backdrop, ‘We Spread’  is an important story that looks at how society marginalizes older people, and how aging is viewed with disdain and distrust.

Three-and-a-half stars

Fiction

We Spread

Iain Reid

Published: 2022

Publisher: Scribner

Pages: 287, Paperback