Choices

New Books for New Readers

by George Ella Lyon

"I don't agree with all the choices people make," says the author. "You probably won't either. My job is to let them tell their stories." And so she does in these thirteen warm, funny, and sad short stories about people making hard decisions for themselves and for their families: Like Iona, who accidentally accepts a marriage proposal And Daryll, just about to graduate from high school, whose mother is eager for him to "make something" of himself. And Lexie and Jeb, deep in debt and already struggling to feed their six children, who find out a seventh is on the way.

64 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 1989

About the author

George Ella Lyon is a Kentucky author who has published in many genres, including picture books, poetry, juvenile novels, and articles.

Reviews

[Lynnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until I opened the book, I didn’t realize this was written specifically for adult new readers. Luckily I don’t think that designation really matters. First, how awesome is it that the state of Kentucky decided to create these type of age-appropriate and quality literary materials for adults learning to read? Second, the stories are written in a folksy vernacular but the writing and subject matter are not juvenile by any means, so I believe any reader could enjoy this collection.

My favorite stories were: Marrying, Making Something of Yourself, Trucking, and Baptizing. I would describe all the stories as “super short stories” and “slice of life” which I like just fine. They all take place in Appalachian Kentucky and are written in such a voice.

Quotes I liked:

- The place you come from, Willard, is like a mirror. You have to come back now and then just to look at yourself. And if you’ve got people here, and you come back enough, you may decide this is the place for you after all.

- We held on for a while, but the truth was, we’d rather be miserable at home.

- It scared me to find out they didn’t know what was going to happen, that Momma and Daddy were afraid.

- The first time I laid eyes on Shirley Tackett, I said, “Whoa! I’m going to fall in love with that woman, and I don’t even like the looks of her!”

- What made me want to meet her then? The set of her shoulders, pure and simple. Here was a woman who had seen hard times and kept right on looking.

- You’d think in a small town a person would know which of these things really happened. It doesn’t work that way. Trying to sort out the truth from the rumors is like trying to count popcorn kernels as they pop. You might make it to six or eight, maybe even ten, but then there’s too many all at once.

- Riding around is for when I’m restless or when something’s got me by the throat. Each gear I go through, I can feel something let go. When I see valleys down through the curves of Big Black Mountain, I start to breathe easier. A world that’s got that in it can’t be all bad.

- You forget how different real fire is from lightbulbs and radiators. I could feel the heat from the candles. I let my skin drink it up like I was sitting by the stove back home.

[Melissa Helton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author does a great job capturing the cadence and personalities of language. I can see how that recognition and reflection of the region within the stories removes a barrier for adults working on their literacy (the target audience). The stories are serious too, so even though the language may be simple for early readers, the stories aren't. That would help adult learners too, not feeling infantilized by the stories.