Tender Hoof: Stories

by Nicole Rivas

From the author of the flash fiction chapbook, A Bright and Pleading Dagger, comes the debut story collection, Tender Hoof: Stories. In these pages, Rivas compactly merges the brutal with the surreal, blurring the line between safety and danger, sinner and saint. Twin girls accept a strange man’s invitation; a young author’s purported reincarnation leads to fame and misfortune; a lone bicyclist cycles her way through a lifetime of peril; not even a fairytale can save children from the flaws of their parents. With blade-sharp prose, Rivas creates a profound cast of characters that generate momentum till the very last page.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Flash Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2024

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Rivas has a quirky but realistic way of presenting her stories that I find appealing, whether it’s the story of twin girls who borrow VHS tapes from a neighbor or the title story about regretting the past with its sofas that were alive. Another plus for me were the two very short stories that read as modern-day fairy tales, a la "Hansel and Gretel." Generally, I prefer longer stories, and none of these are very long, but I'd read all of them again one day.

Here's another wonderful story (not in the book) by Rivas: Porches.

[Nikki Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and quick to read. But I’d definitely want to re-read some of these stories again. Crumbs, The Man Before Her, and Hatched were definitely my top contenders!

[PJ Guippone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it’s really amazing the way these stories work off of each other. The matter of fatness draws you in and causes a distinct feeling of anxiety and expectation, but then those feelings are turned on their head by an alternate tragedy. Like in “The Audio Biography of Peter” after the themes coming from earlier stories. Raw and honest with beautiful (though often chilling) figurative language. A really lovely collection.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, vibrant writing that draws you into the moments in ourselves that we sometimes forget to pay attention to.

[Keli R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole Rivas is the SERGEANT of the chap book! Some of these stories, I mean, whew. I’m still catching my breath from them. Each story is so different and powerful. Her writing is like what I imagine human hands touching nerves would be like. I always sort of slightly hold my breath before each story ends because I never know what to expect. The stories, I don’t know what to do with them, because they’re either disgusting, heart wrenching, or outright outlandish. It’s like watching something you shouldn’t see but you can’t turn your head. And I mean they’re poignant short stories! Rivas can do so much in a very few words. From this chapbook, I cannot stop thinking about “Something I Will Never Tell You.” I read it twice back to back because I just couldn’t believe it. That’s the way most of the stories are written, you kinda don’t know what’s going on until you’re halfway in. I find myself going back to read once the plot becomes apparent. I’m just saying…Nicole I love your work, but it has me up all night thinking! Sheesh!!!!!

[Kira Nerys · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a local book fair, I picked up a book and read a page or so at every table, and purchased the ones whose writing hooked me. I only got through about half the fair.

I saw this was a slim volume, but I hadn't realized the extent to which it was vignettes, as opposed to short stories. There are only a half-dozen longer than 3 pages. Since I brought this on the train (I always choose a lightweight volume), I ended up devouring it within a day, but I could easily see a different reader spacing it out, like poetry--one per day, perhaps.

Really a beautiful collection. I was stunned by Rivas' use of language, so poignant in her commitment to this flash-fiction format.

[Al Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along with a Bright and Pleading Dagger, Rivas is one of my favorite current writers of short short fiction. A very strong and unique voice the work in Tender Hoof is also like a dagger. Many of the characters in this collection are given descriptors rather than names, a move of generality over specific but the pieces take that safety in distance and aim for your exact heart. The gray haired man, the bicyclist, the priest. Don’t let it fool you, these are exact voices.

“The dependability of strangers felt like something I could hold on to, so I held on tightly.”

[HugoWonderstruck · Rating 3 out of 5]

It often felt like it was checking boxes in terms of being transgressive to the point of being predictable. There are some nice moments, though, and the stories are thankfully very short.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loooove flash fiction. Some of these stories really hit, but there were too many that didn’t feel fully realized.