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In the Shadows of the Onion Domes: Collected Short Stories
By the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango rivers in New York's Southern Tier lies a verdant valley called the Triple Cities.
The shoe factories that originally drew thousands of immigrants from across Europe have long moved on.
What remains are the distinct ethnic flavors of a gritty community determined to overcome economic woes, adapt to the rapid changes in society and find true meaning in life.
Consider these stories as pages ripped from a sketchbook. Some are quick studies; others are more detailed portraits inspired by observed characters, whispered gossip, overheard conversations and the local lore of the residents whose neighborhoods are framed by the gilded Orthodox Church domes that span this valley.
You'll find that each tale has its own tone: some are humorous or poignant, others are surprising and haunting.
The shoe factories that originally drew thousands of immigrants from across Europe have long moved on.
What remains are the distinct ethnic flavors of a gritty community determined to overcome economic woes, adapt to the rapid changes in society and find true meaning in life.
Consider these stories as pages ripped from a sketchbook. Some are quick studies; others are more detailed portraits inspired by observed characters, whispered gossip, overheard conversations and the local lore of the residents whose neighborhoods are framed by the gilded Orthodox Church domes that span this valley.
You'll find that each tale has its own tone: some are humorous or poignant, others are surprising and haunting.
268 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2014
1 person is currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Mary Pat Hyland
12 books40 followersMary Pat Hyland is an award-winning former newspaper journalist and Amazon Top 100 Bestseller who writes novels featuring Irish-American characters set in the Finger Lakes wine country and Southern Tier region of New York State.
Her latest novel is When Stardust Fell on Keuka Lake.
It is the third book in the Caviston Sisters Mystery series, preceded by The Curse of the Strawberry Moon and The Water Mystic of Woodland Springs. Hyland is also the author of the best-selling novel, The House With the Wraparound Porch, a family saga spanning four generations from 1920-2006. Her other books include The Maeve Kenny series: The Cyber Miracles (Book 1), A Sudden Gift of Fate (Book 2), and A Wisdom of Owls (Book 3); 3/17 (an Irish trad music parody of Dante's Inferno); The Terminal Diner (a suspense novel); and In the Shadows of the Onion Domes (collected short stories).
If you like stories that feature gourmet cooking, wine, humor, romance, and a bit of straying into magical realism, you'll enjoy her tales.
Her latest novel is When Stardust Fell on Keuka Lake.
It is the third book in the Caviston Sisters Mystery series, preceded by The Curse of the Strawberry Moon and The Water Mystic of Woodland Springs. Hyland is also the author of the best-selling novel, The House With the Wraparound Porch, a family saga spanning four generations from 1920-2006. Her other books include The Maeve Kenny series: The Cyber Miracles (Book 1), A Sudden Gift of Fate (Book 2), and A Wisdom of Owls (Book 3); 3/17 (an Irish trad music parody of Dante's Inferno); The Terminal Diner (a suspense novel); and In the Shadows of the Onion Domes (collected short stories).
If you like stories that feature gourmet cooking, wine, humor, romance, and a bit of straying into magical realism, you'll enjoy her tales.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 7, 2015
In the Shadows of the Onion Domes is a book of short stories and as such there were some stories that really intrigued me and there were some stories I could have done without reading (though more of the really good stories than the ones for which I didn't care).
My favorite of the stories was The Reluctant Magnolia which is about a widow who decides she is pretty much going to give up on a social life. Things change for her in this story. I also enjoyed the Geranium Preener.
My least favorite was The Repurposed Journalist. It just didn't end as well as I would have liked for it to have ended. There didn't seem too much of a purpose to the ending.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
My favorite of the stories was The Reluctant Magnolia which is about a widow who decides she is pretty much going to give up on a social life. Things change for her in this story. I also enjoyed the Geranium Preener.
My least favorite was The Repurposed Journalist. It just didn't end as well as I would have liked for it to have ended. There didn't seem too much of a purpose to the ending.
I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
June 18, 2019
Thumbs up!
The stories have lively narratives and excellent; the development of the characters is multi-dimensional. Through varied experiences the characters are led to the stories' dramatic finales, some amusing, some shocking, but not predictable. The moral development of the main characters is prominent in some of the stories, though not all. This aspect is important to me, increasing my appreciation for the book. Keep up the good work, Pat!
The stories have lively narratives and excellent; the development of the characters is multi-dimensional. Through varied experiences the characters are led to the stories' dramatic finales, some amusing, some shocking, but not predictable. The moral development of the main characters is prominent in some of the stories, though not all. This aspect is important to me, increasing my appreciation for the book. Keep up the good work, Pat!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews