Double Dutch

by Laura Trunkey

Shape-shifters, doppelgangers, and spirits inhabit the extraordinary worlds depicted in Trunkey’s short stories: a single mother believes her toddler is the reincarnation of a terrorist; Ronald Reagan’s body double falls in love with the first lady; a man grieves for his wife after a bear takes over her body. The collection also includes moving tales grounded in painful and touching reality: a young deaf girl visits Niagara Falls before she goes blind; an elephant named Topsy is killed on Coney Island by Thomas Edison in 1903; and a woman learns the truth about her son’s disappearance while searching with her husband in the Canadian Rockies.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Magical Realism

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2016

About the author

Laura Trunkey’s short fiction collection Double Dutch is forthcoming with House of Anansi in March, 2016. Previous stories have been published in journals and magazines across Canada, and included in the anthology Darwin’s Bastards: Astounding Tales from Tomorrow (2010). She is also the author of the children’s novel, The Incredibly Ordinary Danny Chandelier (2008). She lives in Victoria with her husband and son.

Reviews

[John K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection of short stories! Each story was so well written and made me feel so many things! I will absolutely re-read again soon and I hope this author writes approximately 100 more books.

[Care · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories that are all wildly imaginative and yet each incredibly familiar and relatable, Double Dutch manages to explore some of the best and worst elements of humanity in just a few short stories. They are all a little strange and quirky - most completely mind boggling at first - and they reflect keen insight into the complexity and nuances within humans.

All of the stories were very well written, and I enjoyed reading each of the stories in this collection as they alternately surprised, shocked, saddened, and gladdened me. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a good short story collection!

Thanks to the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for a fair review!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from goodreads and it is one of my favourites. I fell in love with all the stories, it was unlike any other short story novel where I felt none of the stories were completed. These ones left me thinking, they came together so perfectly at the end. Though it was hard to figure out the plot at the beginning for some of them, the endings made up for it.

[Leah Angstman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good collection of short stories. Semi-surreal and told from interesting perspectives. I wasn't so blown away by the prose itself, but the story ideas were decently original. I picked up the book for the story about Topsy, the elephant that Thomas Edison electrocuted to prove that Alternating Current was dangerous, and it was a sad, weird story, told half from the elephant's perspective, which was unexpected and interesting.

[Carla (Carla's Book Bits) · Rating 2 out of 5]

But for the exception of the first story (which was excellent and really got me in the feels), I thought these short stories were just a bit.. directionless? It's 100% my preference, I just want my short stories to be more of a 'bang' and not a reluctant 'pew.'

[Anna (lion_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This may be the first short story collection I got through from cover to cover AND--wait for it--enjoyed it.

Trunkey's stories are strange in that they are not quite magical realism, or I should say not always magical realism. At times they feel like hyper-realism: real life amplified, all our imagined possibilities and suppositions made true. Other times they are quite paranormal. In one we inhabit the mind of an elephant about to be executed by Thomas Edison; in another we follow the life of a gun as it struggles with its desire to kill, and yet in one more we are pricy to the falling out of six sisters--two of whom have grown up into ghosts.

What ties the stories together is Trunkey's perceptive exploration of our worst selves. She pits faith against belief, love against paranoia, sympathy against selfishness. She is particularly good at putting the intimate life under a magnifying glass and using the resulting image to hint at broader issues, mainly our fears, prejudices, and our inability to connect. Trunkey writes about a fractured human existence, veering away from a tendency to idealize.

Although I enjoyed a lot of the stories in this collection--"Night Terror," "Electrocuting the Elephant," and "The Windspir Sisters' Home for the Dying" are excellent--most of the collection feels like the work of a writer who is still stretching out her new shoes. She is a good writer, but not the best version of herself yet. Some of these stories feel blatantly experimental; some of those experiments worked others didn't. I would recommend the collection nonetheless. Trunkey's writing shimmers with the breadth of her imagination.

This book was also reviewed by me on The Literarian: http://www.the-literarian.com/2016/08...

[Jessica Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good! The last story about the winspir sisters was by and far the best!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short stories that are based in the realm of paranormal. They are the perfect length for a busy schedule and are quite varied in topic. Some of the tales were a little darker than others but for the most part they were enjoyable and satisfying.

[Jacquelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 - I didn't like nearly half of the stories, and the ones I kind of liked didn't really connect for me. I see potential here, but it felt like the author is still trying to find her voice.

[Matthew Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Dutch by Laura Trunkey is a collection of short stories. Some of the stories no doubt will appeal to readers better than others. For those interested in the occult, The Windspur Sisters’ Home for the Dying has a sort of mysterious charm that passes between this world and the other spiritual world. Four of the sisters are alive while two are dead and together the living sisters and spirit sisters help people pass from this world to the next.

I think my favourite short story was the titled one, Double Dutch. It is about the double for former United States president Ronald Regan. This story made the book valuable to me. I had never considered an American president having a stand-in at speeches and official photos. Sort of makes you wonder what is real and what is not. I also didn’t like the way the double was dealt with at the end, how he was basically dismissed when not needed. It made me think about what is integrity all about. Now, I am wondering if there is a stand-in for Donald Trump. Since President Regan was known as Dutch, hence Double Dutch, what would this story have been called if it were rewritten about Trump? We may need to wait and see! Maybe.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for originality, but unfortunately, at times, the story details needed to be more developed. Often at the beginning of the story, I couldn't figure out what was being related and there were a couple of stories that I never really figured it out even when I got to the end. Thank you Goodreads First Reads for my free ARC.

[Samantha Gunning]

I won this book via Goodreads First Reads Giveaway. I received an advanced readers paperback copy.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure why I finished this as none of the stories in this book were at all interesting or well written. Overall really bad.

Copy provided by NetGalley for review