Reviewed by Mark Massaro
The Bayrose Files
by Diane Wald
Regal House Publishing
May 2025, 116 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1646035953
Set against the vibrant and shifting backdrop of 1980s Provincetown, The Bayrose Files, published by Regal House Publishing, follows young journalist Violet Maris as she navigates ambition, deception, and loss within a prestigious artists’ and writers’ colony. What begins as an audacious plan to craft a career-defining exposé soon spirals into a profound reckoning when Violet’s secret – the true authorship of the stories she presents as her own – is exposed following a personal tragedy. Diane Wald crafts a richly atmospheric and emotionally layered narrative, exploring themes of identity, guilt, and redemption through Violet’s journey of painful self-discovery. Vividly capturing both the familial eccentricities of an artistic community and the complexities of human relationships, this tender, unflinching story follows Violet’s struggle for self-forgiveness, becoming a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
A standout element of The Bayrose Files is the tender relationship between Violet and her informal mentor, friend, and editor, Spencer Bayrose. Spencer, the true author of the work that earns her admission to the eight-month-long fellowship at the Provincetown Home for Artists and Writers, is the only person Violet is truly honest with. Wald writes, “If anyone could help me figure it out, it was Spencer. I’d only known him about ten years, but it seemed like forever” (16). Their bond is grounded not only in trust but also in the comfort and familiarity Spencer’s presence brings to Violet’s otherwise unassuming life. He is described as “tall and elegant, with wavy-gray-brown hair, a finely chiseled nose, and lovely, soft eyes. His normal speaking voice would put Anthony Hopkins to shame” (16). Although Violet’s ambition for journalism drives much of her outward journey, it is Spencer’s decision and creative talent that quietly shape the path forward, granting her access to a private world of passionate artists – and offering a rare refuge where Violet can begin to confront herself.
Naturally, Violet finds herself among a vivid cast of characters at the artists’ retreat, forging tentative bonds across the two creative tribes: the “verbals” (writers) and the “visuals” (fine artists), including Gene, the program chair; Jeanette, a poet; Phrank, a fiction writer; and Cordelia, a watchful gossip. Each artist has their own small and private living quarters that are connected like rooms in a sprawling inn – and the relationships that form among them resemble those of focused college students: driven and ambitious but often pulled into moments of distraction and connection. Amid the inevitable tensions, Wald captures the deeper spirit of the community, the sense of shared purpose and rare vulnerability that binds artists together:
The fellows were part of something grander than most of us will ever feel. A family? Maybe, for some of them. But I think for most of them it was the feeling, enhanced by the wildness of the location and landscape, that time had stopped for a few months and they could just be who and what they were (68).
Ideally, the eight-month break from the real world should be a time for reflection and creative growth, but Violet and Spencer’s deception begins to taint something sacred there. Spencer, ever the objective journalist, champions his protégé, saying, “Then when you publish your article…there would be some who’d be angry about it, I suppose, but that’s show biz” (22). Always an outsider, even when standing among them, Violet slowly begins to lose herself behind the veil of deception, particularly as she grows closer to one of the other characters.
At just 116 pages, The Bayrose Files moves with the urgency of a confession, guided by Violet’s clear-eyed narration and the weight of her past mistakes. From the very first line – “My name is Violet Maris and I’ve done a terrible thing” – Wald sets the tone for a story where guilt and grace coexist. When reflecting on her journalistic ambition, Violet says, “I think what I’d been hoping for was some kind of revelation, but the revelation happened inside me” (68), a line that underscores the novella’s central truth: the most profound insights are not of others, but of the self – ironic for a young and ambitious journalist. And there are consequences, personal and communal. The subtle references to the retreat’s future changes – stricter application rules, tightened community policies – highlight the lasting impact of Violet’s deception, extending her story beyond personal regret to a broader, more resonant reckoning. Through Violet’s journey, Wald reminds us that actions matter more than intention. In the end, The Bayrose Files is a swift yet stirring meditation on ambition, consequence, and the painful but redemptive act of being honest.
About the reviewer: Mark Massaro earned a master’s degree in English Language & Literature from Florida Gulf Coast University, and he is currently a Professor of English at a state college in Florida. His writing has been published in The Georgia Review, The Hill, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Master’s Review, Newsweek, The Colorado Review, and many others.