This is a new publication by the author comprising a selection of short stories, some of which have been published elsewhere in the last two years.
The important thing with a book of short stories is not to read it in one go. Discipline yourself. Read one short story each day either before going to bed or during a break. In this way you can extend the length of these stories and ruminate about characters and outcomes. The best short stories rarely end suddenly but leave you hanging to fill in a few pieces by yourself; for this reason the above collection works well for me. I spent a fair bit of time putting myself into a characters position when I completed a short read and decided how I would feel and what I would do in their circumstances. This is a great way to drift off to sleep. Even the stories describing difficult or tragic circumstances can be ‘spun’ into a decent ending if you use your imagination.
The stories themselves focus heavily on relationships, often broken. My personal favourites follow:
‘Snails on the Road’ describes a family after the father has left for another woman but leaves us with hopeful possibilities. It is easy to read and warm-hearted even though the characters are having a difficult time.
‘Phillip Turpin gets a girl’ is my personal favourite as it reveals considerable depth in a hard-working man’s personality.
‘Painting the Hay Bales’ reveals a little known (to me) art form within a smallholding drama linked to a relative in the city. It made me consider how close the City of London and the farming community really is.
In summary this collection worked for me and I am pleased to recommend it for anyone looking to chill out at the end of a day.
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