Seven Different Kinds Of Smoke

by Roman St. James

Seven short stories of magic & mystery by a new, African-American, writer. Includes "The Greenest Grass" - the story of a young woman that undergoes a medical procedure that makes for the ultimate personal transformation; "Babble" - the story of a couple that listens to each other but never hears, to fatal results; "Elevation" - the story of an elderly lady with a date with destiny - and her late husband; "Leap Frog" - the story of a woman who believes that her kiss has the ability to turn men into frogs and 3 others.

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 18, 2010

Reviews

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seven Different Kinds of Smoke is a collection of short stories by Roman St. James.

Seven stories to be exact. They all focus on some kind of hardship or harmful element.

The first is 'The Greenest Grass', and tells the story of Tasha Evans- who is a transgender man born into a woman's body. He always knew he was interested in women, but considered himself gay for the longest time, having never made the connection between wondering what it would be like to be a man and actually being one.

Growing up in Mississippi, this alone would cause friction between him and a lot of the residents, but adding to that his African-American race and there's a lot of bigotry thrown in his face. Through the story we get a view of his past and a glimpse of things to come. He has a plan, but how much is he willing to sacrifice to make it happen? This is a story about identity.

The second is 'Seven Different Kinds of Smoke', the namesake for this book. This story provides an explantation of the 'seven different kinds of smoke', though they're pretty interchangeable. The seven different kinds of smoke are just different (and more specific to the characters of this book) names for the seven deadly sins, mixed in with some life lessons to help deal with them. What's important to note, is that while 'smoking' harms the 'smoker', it also harms those around them. Other people's 'sins' can harm others, whether intentional or not.

Here we meet Kenya Watkins- a twenty-nine year old woman with an eventful past, of which several events have unfortunately been plastered over the news. She's sitting in a cafe contemplating the bottle of pills in her pocket, when an old woman joins her, claiming she is one and the same person and is here to save Kenya from herself.

As with any sane person, Kenya 1 does not believe Kenya 2's story and so decides to test her with a series of questions, ones only she knows the answers to. If Kenya 2 can pass the test, she'll listen to anything the old woman has to say.

In 'Babble' Angela and Jack are a married couple with communication problems. They're trying to get through them and listen to each other better and more and are a prime example of how one small misunderstanding can lead to serious repercussions.

Next up is 'Leap Frog', a story about Alexandra 'Alex', who believes she turns men into frogs with a kiss. She and her girlfriend are visiting Dr.Phillip Sanford, for help with their relationship. The problem it seems, stems from this belief. Alex isn't so sure she's gay, but she has sworn off men, after turning one too many of them into amphibians. Dr. Sanford has his work cut out for him.

'A Void of Sorts' is the story of Marie, a woman who has just lost her son. A son she doted on a treasured, as all mothers do. She had always wanted a child, but had no partner of her own, so spent her savings in sperm banks. After that failed, she went 'bar hunting', looking for a suitable man (physical features wise), with the best genetics, that she could use to get her pregnant. After a few failed attempts, she finally managed it, and now her precious son is gone. Hell hath no fury like a mother.

The penultimate story is 'The Tell Tail Tale'. We meet a grandfather babysitting his twin, seven-year-old grandsons and making up a bedtime story for them. He is a little upset with the man his son has become- or rather where his son's values lie, so the story he tells his young grandsons, is his son's. Not that they know that.

The last story is 'Elevation'. Mrs. Alberta Terrell Henderson has sold or given away all of her possessions. Her beloved husband died a year previously and she is 'going to meet him'. When her daughter shows up confused by the movers, Alberta finds herself with an extra person for the 'journey'. Her daughter, afraid of what her mother's ambiguous words mean, decides to follow her and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid.

Despite her probing questions, her mother remains vague, and keeps repeating the same phrase as an explanation, without much detail. All her daughter can do is tag along and try to keep her mother safe.

An interesting range of topics are explored in these seven stories. Some bittersweet, some humorous and some hateful. That's one of the good things about collections of short stories- there's usually something for everyone.

The stories can be about a lot of uncomfortable topics. For example hate crimes. Most of the stories centre around women. Every main character is black and a couple are gay. All three are hot topics that can draw a lot of bigotry. In some of them, it provides a very raw and real perspective and we get a good story out of it. But I found myself wondering if it was necessary for every story to centre around a particular race. I want to point out now that I have absolutely no problem with any race. I'm not against any skin colour, hair colour, religion, sexuality, gender, etc, what I'm interested in is the person.

So, would it have made any difference if some of the character's race was different? There are a few stories where race doesn't really play a part. Perhaps leaving some of the character's features deliberately vague might've been a better option. Rather than making this a book about seven stories of seven black people, I think it could reach a larger audience if it was simply seven stories about seven people. There's always the danger of putting yourself into a too specific niche.

And these stories are worth reading. They all have interesting things to say and their own points of view. I can see what the author was trying to achieve by making all the characters black, but I think a little more subtlety could make this an amazing book. Rather than simple saying 'this person is African-American', allow the description to convey the same thing. Through the culture and the environment. If this had been one story, the method used would've fine. But when each time you start a new story and immediately see 'this person is black' it can get a little tedious and repetitive. Instead, work it into the story. Something along the lines of 'so-and-so always faced prejudice because of the colour of their skin'. It gets across the same point without being quite so blunt about it. Allow the reader to make the connection themselves.

Other than that, I did enjoy these stories. If I had to pick a favourite it would be either 'The Greenest Grass'- which deeply explores the subject of a person's identity or 'Leap Frog' for the comedic (though slightly dark when I think about it) tones. If you're wondering whether to pick this up, as I said earlier, short stories almost always have something for everyone.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a new author who has written a great set of short stories. The smooth prose flows easily and fast. The characters are well developed and real. The plots are also well thought out and developed. Writing a short story, though this may not seem true at first glance, is not as easy as it seems. In a short space and time, the author must introduce characters, setting and plot, develop all three and somehow bring it all to a conclusion. This author has definitely mastered the technique, as seen in this collection. I was immediately taken in by each one, and all held my complete attention throughout. In particular, I enjoyed Leap Frog, the story about a girl who turns boys who kiss her into frogs, and The Tell Tail Tale, a story about someone who is so dissatisfied with his place in life that he tells bigger and bigger lies about who he is what he can do in an attempt to impress people. Both start out simple and straightforward, but both contain a hidden element/moral for the reader. In both cases, the author has taken older, well known stories/tales and turned them into refreshing fiction set with today’s standards and conventions. In the rest of the stories, he has done similar things, but without making the newer iteration too much like the original one, so the reader almost forgets the basis for the story. I would like, as one reviewer wrote, to see the author develop these stories into longer novels. Based on these stories, he definitely has shown he can do that and do it well. I received this book from Library Thing to read and review.

[Antara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author (through the LibraryThing Members Giveaway) in exchange for an honest review.
Rating:3/5
Synopsis:
This is a collection of short stories by a new African American writer. The Seven Different Kinds Of Smoke is about a woman who has lost her will to live but finds comfort and reassurance from an unlikely source. Babble is the classic tale of a miscommunication with drastic consequences.
A Void Of Sorts tells the story of a woman who really wanted a baby boy and how she copes with her loss. In Elevation, a woman goes against all odds to reunite with her husband.
Stories not mentioned: The Greenest Grass, Frog Prince, Tell Tail Tale.

My Review:
My favourites were Babble and A Void Of Sorts although I enjoyed Seven Different Kinds Of Smoke and Elevation as well. These stories in particular were great- just enough details revealed to hook me in and ended without being unnecessarily dragged out.
The writing flowed smoothly and didn't distract from the plot.
Overall, it was a good read and I look forward to reading more from the author.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was both enjoyable as entertainment and thought-provoking as glimpses into lives and situations. Unlike one other reviewer, I don't think one's race or gender is, or at least should be, an obstacle to identifying with characters in a work of fiction. If one has empathy for other humans, or other beings in general, identification with a character is both essential and easy in order to appreciate literature and other people in everyday life. How could one read most fantasy or science fiction if one could only identify with people just like ourselves? These stories range from humorous to heartbreaking, with underlying topics well worth pondering on a larger scale. For those not limited by empathy issues.

[Janice Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. The stories are short, interesting, with no frills and therefore to the point. A couple of the stories centre on complex societal issues from which many writers would shy away in a short story. What I liked about these stories is that, with a little imagination, it is up to the reader how each could ultimately end. Despite there being the need for some more thorough editing, I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to seeing more from this writer.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly loved this book. Each story is totally different from the next. It was like reading a story book for adults. This book really amps up on the imagination levels of the author. This read will make you look around go wow wonder where that came from. very little in this book could actually be true though some stories definitely make you take a second look at things that have happened in your own past and go HMMMM! I just wonder!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in return for an honest review and honestly I was completely surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection of stories. The author has put together stories that make you think and reflect and are each separate and unique. I truly enjoyed this read and will watch for more from this writer. This is a must read because you will enjoy it.