stories – Emotional Shadows

Today, I want to begin with the latest release of my long time blogger friend, Lisa. She met me when I started my blog in 2013, and her support has been consistent though she is so laid back that she never promotes her books. She is the author of divorce self-help books, short stories and poetry. ‘Daughter of the Moon’ is her debut novel.

‘Daughter of the Moon’ is an engaging account of a daughter who is abandoned at the door-step of Nora on a cold, stormy December night. She decides to adopt the baby and raises her with immense love. The mystery child grows up into a fine woman – Joele who learns to read tarot cards at a young age and earns a handsome amount from it at Diane’s Tea House. She is also an artist.

However, it is surprising that the question of her biological parents never crops up until Nora’s death. People of the town must’ve known the secrets or was the mother an outsider? Joele decides to dig deeper and many uncanny mysteries tumble out. How will Joele handle them? Can she believe the unsavory truth? Can she forgive the lady who gave birth to her and abandoned the infant?

The story is slow-paced yet it holds your interest, as Thomson makes it a feel good story and doesn’t disclose the backstory of Shawnee’s torturous past. Her focus is relationships and their importance in our lives. All the characters are too good. Nothing is told about the villain and his possible guilt, which could have been an interesting aspect of the plot. A journey through self-discovery, this book offers love, friendship and acceptance. If you like cozy stories, this one is for you.

True to its name, ‘Miracles and Ghosts’ is a fantastic collection of Christmas stories. It starts with a heart-warming story of Julie Sandals who returns to her childhood home after seventeen years and finds love and hope despite the sinister plans of Doug. Finn weaves an element of magic in the narrative through a rainbow, white feather and the spiritual presence of a guardian angel.

‘Christmas Reunion’ highlights human values in a subtle manner; underlines the value of sibling love, kindness and nemesis.

A poignant story of Ursa and his cat pierced my heart though their new journey speaks of light.

‘At the Mall’ holds hope despite the mounting tension that gnaws at your heart, each moment. Finn won my heart with the miracle. All the stories are crafted well and have an emotional edge. The realism blends well with the magic and miracles, as soured relationships and challenges of life unfold. Finn’s signature style peeps through her cute kittens and Bubs. An enjoyable collection!

‘The Bubble Reputation’ is a haunting comment on the modern world which is driven by money, jealousy, social media, fake news and instant gratification. The story grabs your attention from page one when we meet Ursula Bloom who reveals her intentions and manipulates one of her employees to create a scandal that escalates to unimaginable proportions. While she basks in the glory of her malicious actions, Emmie Hobson loses almost everything. Is there a way out?

Fast-paced and realistic, Craigie creates an authentic story by crafting credible characters who could stoop absolutely low to tarnish the image of a popular author. She succeeds in stirring your emotions by placing you in the midst of a chilling scenario – a smearing campaign against Emmie would haunt you and make you wonder how public opinion turns against you within moments.

This novella reveals the darkest side of humanity. It highlights that even your own friends and siblings could turn against you. Human values hold no significance in modern society and perils of social media cannot be dismissed with a shrug. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you. Happy reading!
Here is the Amazon link for my new poetry book.

For more poetry, hang out with Hues Of Hope

How relevant are short stories

Short stories are as dear as lullabies if they are introduced at the right time. While babies derive delight in looking at the illustrations and hearing the familiar voice of their parents, children love to cuddle up with a good story book.

My earliest memories of short stories are connected with my grandma, who could tell me weirest tales without a book but only at bed time. Her favorite refrain that ‘if we tell stories during the day, travelers forget their way’ was taken seriously by us. Though I chuckle at her belief now but it brings fond memories of her face whenever I think of stories.

My love for stories grew as I chose to study and later teach literature and had an easy access to all those renowned names known for writing brilliant pieces. Some of them got entrenched in my memory as they encouraged me to imbibe the values that they glowed with.

This love was recently revived by ‘What’s In A Name’ by Sally Cronin, an engaging collection of twenty short stories, each story inspired from real life and emotions that every individual has to live through. Another captivating anthology ‘Twelve Tales Of Christmas’ by Cathleen Townsend infuses a spirit of togetherness and warmth through its stories of human interest. Now I am reading ‘The Story Teller Speaks’ by Annika Perry and I am amazed at her enchanting style of holding the readers.

My blogger friend Nihar whose ever-inspiring creative stories make a delightful reading, recently requested me to share the short stories that have left a mark on my personality and I got this idea of sharing these timeless classic tales.

The first one that comes to my mind is the ‘Gift of Magi’ by O.Henry. When I had read this story, I was too young to absorb the emotion behind buying a gift, too young to understand why gifts are so important, as I had rarely received them but I learnt how important they can be and why people make sacrifices. I often wonder – could there be a better example of true love?

This value of sacrifice is further highlighted in ‘The Last Leaf’ by O. Henry. Old Behrman, an unsuccessful, dejected artist who was always talking about his masterpiece, had nothing to sacrifice but he wanted to save the life of young Johnsie who had lost the desire to live. The last leaf that never fell and saved her life was actually Behrman’s masterpiece that he had painted on a snowy and windy night! How benevolence and inspiration can uplift human spirit touches my heart whenever I read this story.

‘The Model Millionaire’ by Oscar Wilde is remembered not only for the excellent prose and succinct style of Wilde’s writing but also for inserting subtle messages for humanity like… “Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed.” Generosity could be an inborn trait and a kind act never goes unnoticed. If Hughie could donate his last sovereign to the ‘poor beggar,’ the beggar didn’t disappoint him!

Saki, whose real name was H.H.Munro has written several masterpieces but ‘The Background’ appeals to me the most, as it is a satire on the hypocrisy and love of art, which is considered to be more valuable than a human being who is treated like a rare piece of art as he carried the masterpiece of a tatoo artist on his back! The story jolts you out of your slumber and makes an effort to underline what is more important – a person’s dignity and freedom or just a piece of art?

Short Stories

God Sees the Truth but Waits by Leo Tolstoy made a deep impact on me and I have discussed it time and again to fathom why does God wait so long, why does an innocent suffer for the crime of another person, how could forgiveness be as noble as it has been made out to be? Spiritual interpretations of this story have failed to convince me why was an innocent man used as a tool for the purgation of the soul of a hardened criminal? Isn’t God all-powerful?

The Bet by Anton Chekhov delves deeper into human psychology, bringing out the frailties of human beings on one hand and nobility that one can acquire if one wishes to. The argument over what kind of punishment is better – life imprisonment or death penalty culminates in proving that life imprisonment could be more humane as it offers an opportunity to the criminal to change. The lawyer who chose to accept solitary confinement, just for the bet, slowly rose above ordinary human beings and understood how immaterial is the lust for money and luxury.

A Man Who Had No Eyes by MacKinlay Kantor has stayed in my memory for the outstanding style of narration, style and a sudden unexpected twist that leaves the reader spellbound. It is not just a short story… it is a comment on life, how we approach it positively and move on. A must read to change your outlook on life.

Sparrows by K.A. Abbas brilliantly highlights some harsh realities of life, which had hardened a man. But a streak of kindness, so natural to human instincts, didn’t die and it could be ignited by loving birds, without even a word. A man, presumed to be devoid of emotions, shunned by villagers and even his own family is transformed into a loving and kind human being by the love of sparrows for their own young ones.

God Is Near by James Herriot convinced me that love could be found in furry friends too. If we love His creation, we can feel the presence of God around us even without visiting any religious places. Dr. Herriot’s unspoken commitment to the dogs and cats of Miss Stubbs was no less than her housekeeper.

Short stories lay bare various facets of life. They are more effectual in conveying the values without sermonizing about them. Each emotion can be felt through short stories if they are told in their true spirit.

Have you read any of these stories? Please share your valuable reflections, they are much appreciated.

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Balroop Singh.