Editorial Review

Peter Holloway’s life would have been vastly different if he hadn’t met Meddy—perhaps he wouldn’t be fleeing the state of Maine with their two young daughters in tow. The life that Peter made with Meddy over a decade has come crashing down and now Peter is being held accountable for the actions of the group originally known as “Students for Fundamental Change”.

Meddy was the leader of this revolutionary movement that pushed back against the constraints of a monotonous, soul crushing post-college future. They established residence in the town of Stilwell, Maine where they built businesses and won political office. The organization lived a life free of the constraints of mainstream society, accountable only to Meddy, who wouldn’t hesitate to exile or punish those who challenged her authority.

Kyle Farnworth has authored a terrific and riveting narrative chronicling the rise and dramatic fall of a revolutionary ideological movement. Farnworth adeptly sets the tone for the story in the opening pages as Peter Holloway is introduced in the aftermath of a tragic and extraordinary event. The backstory of how Peter and Meddy met and developed a kinship that blossomed into an on-again, off-again relationship provides for a lot of great character development. The story is equally about the fluctuations in Peter and Meddy’s relationship, from friends to confederates to lovers to near strangers, their only connection being the children they share.

Peter Holloway gravitated to Meddy because she possessed a magnetic personality in addition to stark beauty. Peter and Meddy bond over books and have long, engaging conversations over a variety of topics. Peter’s love of Meddy and belief in her ideas propels his decisions from Dartmouth through the early years at Stilwell. The stalwart nature of Peter exemplifies the love he has for Meddy, yet his character’s authenticity shines through when he begins to question Meddy’s decisions at Stillwell.

One of the crucial themes in this superb novel relates to community. Meddy assembled a devoted group of male followers at Dartmouth who agreed with her ideals and led them to remake a town according to her design. A desire to belong to something important and find people with similar beliefs helped grow the town of Stillwell. Meddy and Peter funded Stilwell through donations and the town flourished as each town resident contributed, financially and physically, toward the town’s success. The author’s depiction of the living experiment called Stillwell is folksy, credible, and at times unsettling.

Meddy (Medusa) views herself as the unquestioned leader of the SFC and she retains her leadership primarily through control. Meddy controlled who was allowed to be part of the SFC at Dartmouth and continues to wield that power as the principal at Stillwell. Meddy decides who sits in her favor and by her side and is not above playing mind games with her people. The multifaceted Meddy is as realistic as any real-life revolutionary group leader, but Farnworth renders her far more tragic.

The account of the birth and death of a modern-day commune is gripping from start to finish. While the story is told from various perspectives, the plot might benefit from an additional chapter delving into Meddy’s pre-Dartmouth years, which helped shape the person she would become.

Medusa is a nearly flawless novel with an absorbing and conceivable plot, fascinating characters, and a memorable climax. Kyle Farnworth has written a dynamite book that will linger in the reader’s minds for quite some time.