May 17, 2022
In Rosemary Timperley’s 1955 story “Harry,” a mother finds herself terrified of her daughter’s new imaginary friend named Harry. At first, it irritates Mrs. James to see 5-year-old Christine chatter away to someone who is not there when she plays by the rose bush in the yard. However, she becomes more distressed when Christine becomes increasingly attached to Harry. Mrs. James’s husband and the family doctor tell her this is normal behavior for children, especially when they haven’t met many other kids yet, but she decides to start an investigation into the past. As she learns more, she realizes that Harry is most certainly not just an imaginary friend.
Recommended in this episode: Louise Erdrich's LaRose
UP NEXT: “The Corner Shop” by Cynthia Asquith
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Our social media is @MonsterWrote on Twitter and Instagram. Our email is monsterwrote@gmail.com. This episode was produced and researched by Lisa and Mel. Theme music is “Misconception” by Nicolas Gasparini, used with permission.