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Showing posts from August, 2016

Gritty, powerful and really great short story writing

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Always Happy Hour - Stories  by Mary Miller  W. W. Norton & Company, Liveright Hardcover, 256 pages, Expected publication: January 10th 2017 Miller has written a collection of short stories that centres on the how women perceived and are perceived in the modern world. Her writing is sharp, honest and poignant. You are allowed to journey with each of the protagonists through a short moment of time in their lives. The women in these stories are looking for personal meaning, family, love, freedom, redemption, security, an array of emotions are laid bare and dissected. What I really enjoyed was the small snippets of information or moments that just rounded out and gave depth to the stories. There is this beautiful moment when a couple are sitting in the car and the awkwardness is captured by a simple line that ‘The basketball that’s been rolling around in his trunk is finally still.’ Throughout all of the stories Miller is able to create these wonderful insights into character