Tornado Days

by Christine Todd

Whether she's writing about an unscrupulous dentist, a courageous albino woman, a butcher with dark edges, or a grief-stricken couple, Christine Todd's stories contain unexpected twists, and surprising "aha" moments. Like the bereaved couple in her title story, her characters live through their own "Tornado Days," their lives changed forever, in an instant.

156 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2013

About the author

Christine Todd's articles and stories appear in various US and UK publications including Leaf Books Anthologies (UK), The Milwaukee Journal (US), Screentrade Magazine (UK), The Yellow Room Magazine (UK), and Flash Fiction Magazine (US). She is the author of the novel, Pins, and the collection of short stories, Tornado Days.
Tornado Days won the Illinois Woman’s Press Association's 73rd Mate E. Palmer Award, and also the National Federation of Press Women's annual award, collection of short stories.

Reviews

[Richard Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book and later decided to do a review. It is a collection of interesting stories about life. They are creative, full of imagery, and unexpected surprises. I've read it twice and expect to read it again in the future. Very well-crafted book.

[Georgann Prochaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in Christine Todd’s short story collection, Tornado Days, miss the warning signs that their lives are about to change. Some are too naïve or too arrogant to imagine dangers until it’s too late. A few have inklings, but the impact still surprises them. Some are strangled by their past, making a path out of trouble almost impossible. Readers will see the green skies predicting a tornadic change coming and will fear for these people, but not all of them. I found myself wanting to shake a few who are very believable and ask, “How can you be so stupid?” One of my favorite stories in the collection is “Dune Bug.” High school students contemplate being parents. He sees his future the same as his present, the only change being the addition of college. She has questions, doubts, and fears as the magnitude of responsibility kicks in. The beauty of a short story collection is that it can be read over time and savored. Tornado Days fits this perfectly.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a fascinating read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the format, of short interesting stories.Some slightly sinister others more light hearted.

[Bonnie Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis book of short stories was a fantastic read. I enjoyed all of the short stories.

[Dotti Albertine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, quirky vignettes. Each story caught me off guard and stayed me with me for a long time. I so appreciate this kind of rare creativity!

[Neve Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read! I really like the concept of “tornado days” and found it interesting how the author chose to mold each story to that term. I did feel the writing was a little unclear at times, though, and that the author’s writing style just didn’t really click with me the way it seemed to have clicked with other reviewers. I’m saddened to see Christine Todd hasn’t published anything since, though. I’d love to see how her writing has progressed over the last decade, particularly given her knack for approaching her work from such interesting POVs.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, all the stories very different but left me wanting more!!