Stepping Out

by Cynthia Rogerson

These stories observe how people live through moments of realisation; how they negotiate the avenues of loss, with cowardice and courage and a fair amount of bewilderment. Cynthia has published three novels, most recently I Love You, Goodbye (Black & White). Her short stories have been widely anthologised and broadcast on radio. She won the V.S. Pritchett Prize in 2008 and is a Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Author, regularly appearing at festivals across the country.

Genres: Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Author also writes as Addison Jones

Cynthia Rogerson is a novelist, short story writer and poet. She is also a director at Moniack Mhor, the Arvon creative writing centre. She lives near Evanton in Easter Ross, Scotland.

Reviews

[Gretel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A well-written collection of character studies. Stepping Out didn't wow me, but it will no doubt make fans out of those who like character-driven, believable stories. It started very strongly with the story A Dangerous Place, a very real tale about a family of Scottish expats in California and how they react to learning their youngest son has been in a car accident, but the majority of the other stories lacked that punch. Rogerson's stories are mostly about life's little moments, but for me they became rather repetitive and dull, with the characters being the same types of people; usually a Scottish family, usually older people etc.

My favourites in this collection are A Dangerous Place, Homesick, In Abeyance and Bus Stop.

[For Books' Sake · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Stepping Out is the first collection of short stories from novelist Cynthia Rogerson, a native Californian who has lived in the Scottish Highlands for the past thirty years.

The book is composed of thirty-three stories divided into seven sections, with the stories in each section linked either thematically, or by the recurring characters they feature." (Excerpt from full review at For Books' Sake.)

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars based on the quality of the writing. I always feel frustrated with short stories - 5-10 pages just isn't enough for me to enjoy a tale. I want depth, plot, development! Still, this is a limitation of the genre, and I was sent this book to review for NewBooks and DID honestly enjoy the stories, especially those where several were connected to one family. I found the writing very honest and sometimes could see my own voice and thoughts coming out in the characters.
It's still not a genre I like much but I'm glad I read this collection.