A Point in Time

by Martha Hall Kelly, Paula McLain, Olivia Hawker

How quickly the ground shifts beneath our feet. We make choices—in the face of love, or violence, or necessity—and the effects ripple outward. In these moving short stories, acclaimed authors examine the foundations of the past, uncovering the irreversible decisions and life-changing encounters that mark the turning point between before and after.

-Naomi’s Gift by Martha Hall Kelly:
A woman’s life-altering discovery after her mother’s death sheds light on the best and worst of humanity in this haunting short story by New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly.
-Ash Wednesday by Paula McLain:
In this wrenching short story based on a real-life tragedy near Cleveland, Ohio, New York Times bestselling author Paula McLain reflects on one family’s perseverance in the face of the unthinkable.
-Landing by Olivia Hawker:
Douut plagues a new marriage when a young NASA engineer focuses more on the Apollo 11 moon landing than his own future in this poignant short story by bestselling author Olivia Hawker.
-We Are Bone and Earth by Esi Edugyan:
In this moving short tale of one girl’s search for her lost brother, award-winning author Esi Edugyan offers a vivid, unique perspective on a lesser-known corner of the West African slave trade.
-A Wild Rose by Fiona Davis:
A troubled concert pianist searches for a new inspiration among the hidden back hallways of Carnegie Hall in bestselling author Fiona Davis’s bold short story of artistic ambition in 1950s New York.
-Alison’s Conviction by Thomas Keneally:
A young autistic woman finds her voice and a path toward justice in this uplifting short story about the power of family history by Thomas Keneally, award-winning author of Schindler’s List.
-Mother Swamp by Jesmyn Ward:
A fever dream of the past that ripples outward to the modern world, this powerful short story by two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward draws inspiration from the hidden communities built by people escaping slavery.

8 pages, Audiobook

Published July 28, 2022

About the author

Martha is still pinching herself after her debut novel LILAC GIRLS, about socialite Caroline Ferriday and her fight to help a group of concentration camp survivors, became an Instant NY Times bestseller in 2016 and went on to sell over two million copies. Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for 54 weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote three more novels: LOST ROSES about Caroline's mother, SUNFLOWER SISTERS about her great grandmother, and THE GOLDEN DOVES about two best friends who unite to find a missing Nazi doctor. Martha's next book, which arrives summer 2025, is THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB about two sisters who turn the tide of the war with the help of their book club. Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. You'll find more info about the incredible, true stories behind all of her books at her website: http://www.marthahallkelly.com, on Instagram: @marthahakkkelly, Facebook and on her ever-changing Pinterest page.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️ for the collection. I enjoined reading "Naomi's Gift", "Landing", and "A Wild Rose." The other stories in the collection were okay but a few were just unrelatable, uninteresting to me, or had subject matter that I would rather not have listened to due to overly sad events like children being harmed or worse. A couple of the stories in this collection I liked so much that I plan on looking for other full length novels from the authors...mainly from Martha Hall Kelly and Fiona Davis.

Naomi's Gift - 4⭐️
Ash Wednesday - 3⭐️
Landing - 3.75⭐️
We Are Bone and Earth - 2.5⭐️
A Wild Rose - 4.25⭐️
Alison's Conviction - 2.5⭐️
Mother Swamp - 3⭐️

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt underwhelmed by the stories overall, though I did like Hawker's set during the Apollo missions (surprise surprise) and with such a focus on history, Keneally's felt out of place.