Mom (a story collection) by Leanne Dyck

A collection of short stories and poems to celebrate Mom and strategies for coping with childlessness.

photo by a nurse (I'm guessing)

'Dad, Mom and me (I'm five days old)'

From Mom

A poem and a short story that helped me cope with the death of my mom

A Spark

A short story about the sticks and string that tied me to my mother

Mother, May I

A poem in celebration of childhood, motherhood, and elderhood

Eve's Other Children

This short story was inspired by Icelandic folklore

The Calling

A short story about a young mom

It was Nothing

This short story views the relationship between mothers and children in terms of childhood anxiety and trauma. 

How to cope with not being a mother

Recommended Strategy...

The Pitter-patter of Little Feet

Picture Book Author Q & A

Not Recommended...

Annie

photo by ldyck

On this blog in May

Sunday, May 18

Children's Story: Ethan's Ferry Trip

Ethan travels on a ferry for the first time, and he...

Sunday, May 25

Memoir: Wenlido

Intimidated by the thought of moving from Winnipeg to the heavily populated city of Vancouver, I...

photo by ldyck

Without a reader,

A writer's words mean

Nothing

About the photo...

Book Review: Stray Dogs stories by Rawi Hage, published by Alfred A Knopf Canada

 Stray Dogs by Rawi Hage is a collection of 11 stories. Some books supply answers. Stray Dogs provokes questioning. There's much meat on the bone. This book lends itself nicely to being slowly digested in a classroom or by a book club.

Stray Dogs stories

Rawi Hage

Alfred A Knopf Canada

2022

201 pages

short-listed for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize

At six pages "The Whistle" is the shortest story in this collection. Some of the stories are novelette or novella-length. The themes and plot lines are diverse as well. Themes include the role of fate; the resilient human spirit; immigration; and if not the importance of at least the influence of family. Some of the protagonists are photographers. In the author's photo, Rawi Hage is holding a camera--cannily foreshadowing the stories that await the reader. Story location is wide-ranging--Lebanon and France and Poland and Germany and Canada and... The more we learn about people living in other countries the smaller our world becomes. Flip open Stray Dogs and read. It points the way to world peace. 

 

On this blog in November...

Sunday, November 13

It All Started Here by Leanne Dyck

What does the wife of a wealthy grain merchant have to do with my birth?

Sunday, November 20

Writing Tips from 18 Guest Authors

My guest authors generously share writing tips and give insights into their own author journey.

Sunday, November 27

Island Invasion (short story) by Leanne Dyck

This short story was inspired by The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

photo by ldyck

You: Hey, Leanne, what method do you use to select the books you review?

Me: I follow the same guide that I use when I'm choosing what I