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bonniereads777's review
5.0
This is a fascinating collection of what I consider to all be five-star stories. They all involve loss and identity but are delightfully varied in plot and location. For those of us who write or try to write, it's a master class in storytelling from eight talented and accomplished authors. I've highlighted a few of my favorites below, but they are all wonderful. At the end of each story is a biography of the author and spotlights of their other written works.
In "Norfolk, Virginia, 1975" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, BethAnn is coming to terms with being a young military wife, trying to scrape by with little pay and realizing things aren't going the way she dreamed. It evoked a lot of feelings in me, as I was also a young military wife. It is a realization that actual love is different than dreams, that marriage can be tough, and that "happily ever after" in a marriage includes hard times and many shades of gray. I am already a fan of Elizabeth Gauffreau, and I highly recommend her book Telling Sonny, set mostly during a Vaudeville tour in the 1920s.
"The Coveting" by Carol LaHines blew me away. It is about a woman who takes what she wants, no matter the cost. Despite the fact that it has an unlikable main character, I found this story riveting. This woman knew exactly who she was, and the loss incurred was always the loss of others. It evoked powerful emotion in me, and although it wasn’t always good emotion, the feelings I came away with were very strong. It was the standout story for me in an amazing collection. This and LaHines' other story in this collection, "Two Boys," are the first works of hers that I've read, but I will definitely seek out her other work.
Idaho Dreams by Joyce Yarrow is a fascinating tale of a woman who begins to realize that the life she is living is quickly turning into something else, something she is not sure she wants. Then she learns that her husband, who has been unexpectedly changing before her eyes, has been keeping a major secret. It is a fascinating tale of preppers in Idaho, but it becomes so much more. In the end, she has to try and separate fact from fiction and make a choice. What would we choose?
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker is such a heartfelt and compelling story. It is about the life of a homeless man and a reminder that anyone can fall into bad circumstances or make mistakes. It is a reminder that the person you pass on the street has had a life full of rich and varied experiences, no matter where they may be now. It is a call to say we all matter, whether we're sitting in a warm house or panhandling on the street. I absolutely loved it, and it warmed my heart more than a cup of soup on a cold day.
Every work in this ten-story collection is expertly written and will stir up emotions and sometimes nostalgia in the reader. I highly recommend everyone read these stories, get to know the authors in their accompanying bios, and check out their other work. It was a rewarding experience for me.
In "Norfolk, Virginia, 1975" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, BethAnn is coming to terms with being a young military wife, trying to scrape by with little pay and realizing things aren't going the way she dreamed. It evoked a lot of feelings in me, as I was also a young military wife. It is a realization that actual love is different than dreams, that marriage can be tough, and that "happily ever after" in a marriage includes hard times and many shades of gray. I am already a fan of Elizabeth Gauffreau, and I highly recommend her book Telling Sonny, set mostly during a Vaudeville tour in the 1920s.
"The Coveting" by Carol LaHines blew me away. It is about a woman who takes what she wants, no matter the cost. Despite the fact that it has an unlikable main character, I found this story riveting. This woman knew exactly who she was, and the loss incurred was always the loss of others. It evoked powerful emotion in me, and although it wasn’t always good emotion, the feelings I came away with were very strong. It was the standout story for me in an amazing collection. This and LaHines' other story in this collection, "Two Boys," are the first works of hers that I've read, but I will definitely seek out her other work.
Idaho Dreams by Joyce Yarrow is a fascinating tale of a woman who begins to realize that the life she is living is quickly turning into something else, something she is not sure she wants. Then she learns that her husband, who has been unexpectedly changing before her eyes, has been keeping a major secret. It is a fascinating tale of preppers in Idaho, but it becomes so much more. In the end, she has to try and separate fact from fiction and make a choice. What would we choose?
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker is such a heartfelt and compelling story. It is about the life of a homeless man and a reminder that anyone can fall into bad circumstances or make mistakes. It is a reminder that the person you pass on the street has had a life full of rich and varied experiences, no matter where they may be now. It is a call to say we all matter, whether we're sitting in a warm house or panhandling on the street. I absolutely loved it, and it warmed my heart more than a cup of soup on a cold day.
Every work in this ten-story collection is expertly written and will stir up emotions and sometimes nostalgia in the reader. I highly recommend everyone read these stories, get to know the authors in their accompanying bios, and check out their other work. It was a rewarding experience for me.
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