The Good Old Days? A Collection of Stories

by J.L. Greger

Short (4-15 pages) stories for readers on the go.

These snapshots of childhoods in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s explore major societal problems in the idiosyncratic way of memoirs. Although amusing, the vignettes address serious issues, such as child and spousal abuse. They may cause you to redefine the good old days.

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2016

About the author

JL Greger enjoys putting tidbits of science into her fiction. Perhaps because she was a professor in the biological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She and hopes her mysteries and thrillers will increase interest in science by women and minorities.

In SHE DIDN'T KNOW HER PLACE, a woman learns the hard way what academics will do to protect their “kingdoms” at a state university in New England.

In RIDDLED WITH CLUES, a woman is attacked repeatedly after she listens to the strange tale of an undercover drug agent and gets puzzling riddled clues from a homeless veteran in Albuquerque. (Finalist for a 2017 NM/Arizona book award)

In MURDER...A WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT, try to guess who killed the "diet" doctor as you learn about recent scientific discoveries on dieting. (Won 2016 Public Safety Writers contest and finalist for a NM/Arizona book award)

In I SAW YOU IN BEIRUT, a woman’s past provides clues for the extraction of a nuclear scientist from Irani. She tucked several of her experiences as a science consultant in Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates in the 1990s into the plot.

In MALIGNANCY, a woman scientist tries to escape the clutches of a drug lord and accepts a risky assignment in Cuba. (Won 2015 Public Safety Writers (PSWA) annual contest.

There are two other books in her Science Traveller mystery and thriller series: COMING FLU and IGNORE THE PAIN.

The author also likes to likes to explore new areas and has written two collections of stories. THE GOOD OLD DAYS? is fourteen short vignettes on families in the 1940s through 1960s. OTHER PEOPLE'S MOTHERS reflects interactions between modern mothers and children. (Finalist for a 2017 NM/Arizona book award)

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories are generally good, but for me, exceptional short stories are rare. There just is not enough time to really get into characters. Greger did address some very difficult issues and did so in a thoughtful and sensitive manner. I will be interested to read some of her longer work.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very thought provoking book in the sense that, when one reflects upon moments of the past that maybe their grandparents lived through or talked about, that everything wasn't always as good as it seemed. I myself love the 50s era. It seemed to be a peaceful time, but then again, not everyone's life was peaceful, as this book clearly shows. This book is about the "forgotten", in the sense that the stories that are told about these people are the ones that were found "hidden under the rug" and exposed to give the reader a new idea on an old subject...things aren't always as good as they seem. There were definitely some happy and funny moments in this book, but most of it seemed solemn to me in the sense that the author wanted you to just sit and ponder each little story on its own, and decide whether that time period that's taking place in the story you just finished was "The Good Old Days" to the character that's acting as the narrator of his/her own story. Besides some obvious spelling errors and grammatical errors (didn't find a bunch but I did find some in the review copy I was sent via Goodreads), this was a book of reflection and a book that will leave me thinking for some time to come.