Demon Horse: The Functions of Family

Demon Horse: The Functions of Family is a collection that showcases how family relationships can affect people, especially those navigating grief, parenthood, abuse, mental health, betrayal, and ancestry. As a collection, Demon Horse: The Functions of Family looks at family as a whole by breaking it down into different dynamics and relationships that are encompassed by the term, showing the experience of parents, grandparents, children, and cousins as they live in varying family experiences. The critical preface to Demon Horse: The Functions of Family centers around this idea of family dynamics, looking at forced relationships that blood ties create and how they are depicted in fiction. This essay analyzes scholarship on family in fiction to discuss different experiences with familial structures, hardships, and the impact these relationships have on people’s lives. Additionally, the introduction to this collection looks at first-person perspective, particularly exploring the ways first-person perspective allows for an emotional connection between readers and characters.