Phrasing question

[XerXesXu]

Why not just say "I took each of them by the hand."? "Reached out" is redundant. .

Similarly 'of them'. 'I took each by the hand.' says it all.

 

[KeithD]

As I queried, "reached out" may have literary value in the context of the story. Does it? This is a literary work, not a training manual, isn't it? There's only so much simplification you can do without squeezing all of the life out of it.

 

[XerXesXu]

As I queried, "reached out" may have literary value in the context of the story. Does it? This is a literary work, not a training manual, isn't it? There's only so much simplification you can do without squeezing all of the life out of it.

‘I took each by the hand and squeezed the life out of it’

It’s more a question of consonance of prose. No sentence should read as if written by someone else.

 

[KeithD]

‘ No sentence should read as if written by someone else.

Lol. That's what most of the suggestions have been. Who else beside me asked about the possible connection of the existing phrasing to the author's overall content of the scene? Who else has indicated intent to work with and preserve the author's voice? (not, granted, that the OP asked that that be done.)