Seasons

by David Antrobus, Edward Lorn, Jo-Anne Teal

This collection of four interwoven 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 of our slow decay?

The answer is not as simple as it seems.

ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK WILL GO TO THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE.

20 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2013

About the author

The words. They arrived singularly, in pairs, in groups. They never even bothered to knock; just strode in through the hardwood doorway or slipped through the gap in a window someone had cracked open in a futile attempt to counter those stifling summer afternoons. Took advantage. Kept their shoes on. Lit their cigarettes. Rolled up their sleeves and made fists. Laughed, danced, seduced, bawled their eyes out. I became their captive and, whether they cried as some did or whether they gloated as others did, we all understood one thing: this was a life sentence.

Reviews

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know why I waited so long to read this. I really liked both concept and story; the different author's voices brought an extra dimension to this bitter-sweet, melancholy, sad and quite beautifully told story in parts. Would love to read more in the vein of this project.

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I need to reread this. It just didn't connect with me. It's for a great cause though so 3 stars!

[Brenda Perlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Loss rides high on the wings of regret, and a bird looking for food will soon descend. Come the cold embrace of a wintery love, after the fall, he would be no more..."

~ Edward Lorn

These poetic stories melted me to the core. So full of life yet so full of despair. Each story touched me as they took me to the darkest of places. The human existence that is so valuable and exquisite can also be filled with dread and hopelessness. I love how these stories somehow inter lapped. Dark as they are, each story was told with an abundance of heart and humanity.

"Stepping into the car, Anna tripped slightly and her grip tightened around the stems she was holding. The pain of the roses' thorns piercing her skin made her wince..."

~ Jo-Anne Teal

 The writings are sharp and crystal clear. Moving and emotional. Ever so gripping. This was a fast read that I swallowed up whole in one sitting. I was drawn into the darkness and the rawness of emotion.

"She drank the next vodka fast. It was smooth. All the time that had passed. All this time feeling like she was drowning and chasing her pain and her open places..."

~ Dan Mader

This anthology is a great accomplishment. Such a chillingly beautiful dedication to people who have taken their lives or have thought about taking their lives and for all the survivors out there who have lost loved ones by suicide.
Even lovelier that the proceeds are going to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline .

"She felt the acid heat of uncried tears. Heard the distant howling of eternity, as it prepared to rush toward them, heard the world creak on some cosmic fulcrum. Sensed that if she gave into the deep sob, a vast trapped bubble yearning for the ocean's surface, she might avoid some fate she'd hitherto seen as fixed, unavoidable.She let them come, the tears, the hiccuping sobs, the deep-sea bubble, a ravaged young woman in a powder blue dress jackknifed by grief on a public bench beside a quiet stranger..."

~ David Antrobus

[Jacqueline Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, without a doubt, the hardest review I've ever written. First, I want to say that this is my interpretation, what I understood and got out of reading this collection of short stories. These four short stories are about life and the four seasons, and how those four seasons follow each other in time and how they blend in with life, good or bad. They are about suicide and how each of us copes or doesn't cope with life. They were hard for me to read, but are well written by four great writers. I like the way they all came together at the end. Their writing about a subject that has touched me on a very personal level is something everyone needs to know about and understand. The winter season of the short stories, probably more so than the others, hit hardest for me because just this past Dec 2012 I lost my older brother to suicide.

Today, this Mother's Day, is my 77 year old mother's 56th year at being a mother; my brother had just turned 56 two days after Thanksgiving and two weeks later, he ended his life. So I didn't have a problem with purchasing this book and I think what the authors are doing with the proceeds of the sales - going to National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - is a wonderful thing.

I recommend this book.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **