 |
By Martha Brooks ISBN: 9780920633571format: Paperback pages: 112 publisher: Thistledown Press pub. date: 1988-10-01 |
|
``Some memories are so strong and sweet and sad they seem to have a life of their own.'' The final line from one of the selections in this collection better states their theme than any review can. Brooks' stories are tiny masterpieces, each tenderly re-creating a point in time when a person experiences a realization so powerful that he or she is changed forever. They are told from a variety of points of view, male and female, first and third person, some in retrospect from adulthood. The characters' backgrounds and situations are diverse: Johnny, a homeless boy, is ``adopted'' by a homeless former mental patient; Naomi spends Christmas with her grandmother and the grandmother's live-in boyfriend; Lorraine meets an enigmatic intern while working a summer job in a TB hospital; Andrew, a rich city kid, learns about friendliness from a lumbering, uncouth farmer on a bus. Brooks has a flawless feel for the strength of brevity--the longest of the 14 stories is a mere 10 pages long. Her style sings. Each selection reads just as its protagonist would speak, and her phrasing is continually delightful.
If you are coming into one of our stores, we suggest that you confirm that the book you want is in stock by emailing the location nearest you: Grant Park, Saskatoon, or by phoning the location nearest you.
