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And that could be because Anshaw is also a painter. Her notice to scene is impressive. In that farmhouse where the wedding party is winding down, it’s 1983 and a messy country artists collective: “A fat fly idled around the open window among dangling pieces of stained glass. The room sighed out its own odour - a blend of burnt wood and wet clay. Trace elements of blackstrap molasses, tahini, apples, and unwashed socks were also in the mix.’’
There’s marijuana on the coffee table, and Carmen, who begins the history, knows her brother is high. Carmen is the bride. She’s up the spout, marrying a man she feels companionable toward, but not passionate about. That night, her sibling Nick is hooking up with Olivia, taking mushrooms and more, higher and higher. He’s dressed like a bride, Olivia like a prepare - a joke. And Alice, their artist sister, is hooking up with her man bridesmaid, discovering she’s gay. That night, as Carmen bids departure to the four, along with another guest, they drive off when they shouldn’t, and Olivia, the driver, hits and kills a 10-year-old Freulein on the rural road.
Source: Boston Globe