Genre:
Short Story Collection
Description:
“This
collection of four inter-woven stories explores the quest for
redemption in a world made chaotic by emotional disorder. Broken
characters brace themselves against their elemental constructs - only
to find that nothing is promised and that nothing comes without a
price.
Four
seasons. Four stories written by four critically-acclaimed authors.
Are the seasons reminders of our growth or a glimpse at our slow
decay?
The answer
is not as simple as it seems.”
Proceeds
from the sale of Seasons will be donated to the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline.
Author:
Among the
four contributors to this collection is a winner in our inaugural
Readers’ Choice Awards (David Antrobus for his 9/11 memoir,
Dissolute Kinship)
and two nominees, author Edward Lorn, whose horrific thriller Hope
for the Wicked was on our
short list in the Thriller category, and JD Mader, who contributed to
Music Speaks,
a nominee in the Short Story Collection/Anthology. (Antrobus also
contributed to that collection, giving him the distinction of being
the only dual nominee.) Joining them is Jo-Anne Teal. Although this
is the first book linked to Teal’s author page on Amazon, you can
sample lots of writing on her blog,
Going for Coffee.
Each of the
other authors have websites or blogs, too. Find more about Antrobus
at The Migrant Type,
Mader at Unemployed Imagination, or find out what
Lorn’s been thinking about at Ruminating On.
Appraisal:
Anyone who
has ever been touched by suicide knows that the event leaves you full
of questions with very few answers. These four interwoven stories
(one for each of the seasons) explore life, death, and the desire (or
lack thereof) to continue the former. As the final line of the book’s
description says, “the answer is not as simple as it seems,” and
really, there is no answer. But possibly by considering these
subjects we can get closer to an understanding.
I’d
previously read Antrobus, Lorn, and Mader, and found their writing in
this collection up to their normal high quality. Although this was my
first exposure to Teal’s writing, she measured up to the standard
set by her co-contributors.
FYI:
Spelling
conventions used are consistent with the home of the respective
authors, Canada for Antrobus and Teal, the US for Lorn and Mader.
Added
for Reprise Review: Seasons
was a nominee in the Short Story Collections and Anthologies category
for B&P 2014 Readers' Choice Awards. Original review ran June 13,
2013
Format/Typo
Issues:
No issues.
Rating:
***** Five Stars
Reviewed
by: BigAl
Approximate
word count: 5-6,000 words
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