Feather Falls

by Shawn Hartje

From the heart of Northern California comes four original stories as colorful as the region itself. A San Francisco couple faces a crossroads after a shocking encounter upends their world. A teenage boy from the Sierra Nevada foothills copes with an eccentric father who calls for a modern-day Bear Flag Revolt. A technology-loving winemaker tries to mold her spoiled, disobedient children. Lastly, in a hilarious departure from the human world, an elite group of words attempts to "undefine" during an eventful ball.

Feather Falls is a laugh-out-loud journey through a far-flung California, a place where the unseemly and oddball carry the home-field advantage. Readers will find Hartje's voice charming, mischievous, and entirely at home in these outlandish realms of the Golden State. Also included with the download is an excerpt from "Pipeliner," Hartje's coming-of-age novel set in an early 90s, Idaho town.

Genres: Short Stories

ebook

Published December 1, 2016

About the author

Shawn Hartje was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. He has worked as a newswriter in small-town West Virginia, a whitewater kayak instructor in Colorado, a seasonal laborer for the Forest Service in rural Idaho, and more recently received an M.A. in Creative Writing from Dominican University of California. He lives in Northern California with his wife and teenage kids.

Reviews

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four great tales which will take you on four very different journeys through the golden state. Brilliant stories which will keep you hooked while reading
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Kevin Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago, I read and reviewed Shawn Hartje’s Pipeliner, an engaging coming-of-age novel that showcased his promise as a creative writer. When Shawn reached out to me about reviewing his new collection of short stories, Feather Falls, I jumped at the opportunity. From the first pages, I could see that Shawn’s writing skills have sharpened, and I savored each of these four gems as a short bedtime read.

The first three stories, set in Northern California, immerse the reader in the offbeat lives of characters in dysfunctional relationships and families. In The Feeder, a bizarre shark attack serves as a catalyst for a slacker to launch a YouTube cooking channel and for his depressed girlfriend to jumpstart her marketing career. Feather Falls, the best developed of the stories, portrays the complex relationships between a teenaged boy, his madcap father, and his divorcee mother’s conventional new family. Solar Maximum 2025 is the shocking tale of a control-freak mother’s frustration with her unruly son and daughter and what she does to regain the upper hand. My favorite of the four, A Night at the U-Ball, is a clever riff on the peculiarity of our language, putting Shawn’s playful intellectualism and humor on full display.

If you love short fiction that instantly immerses you in unique settings and exposes you to fascinating characters, Feather Falls will be well worth your time.

[IndieAuthorShowcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feather Falls – Golden State Stories is a captivating collection of short stories that beautifully captures the diverse spirit and hidden magic of California. Each story stands alone yet collectively paints a rich, textured portrait of life across the Golden State—from quiet mountain towns to bustling urban corners.

The characters feel real and deeply human, grappling with dreams, regrets, and moments of unexpected connection. The prose is poetic and evocative without being heavy, grounding each tale in vivid senses of place and emotion. Notably, the author takes a bold creative risk with the fourth story, where all the characters are personifications of literary terms—an inventive and playful departure that adds fresh layers to the collection.

Whether touching on themes of identity, nature, or the uncanny, these stories linger long after the last page. Perfect for fans of literary short fiction or anyone who loves discovering the small moments that make a place and its people unforgettable.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collected within Feather Falls by Shawn Hartje are four short stories that range widely in topic from a couple who have a startling aquatic encounter that sparks a new breath of inspiration into their lives to a son coping with finding himself amidst dealing with his father’s eccentric, and potentially dangerous, attention-grabbing antics to a technologically enthusiastic winemaking mother’s attempt at addressing her insolent teenagers’ behavior to a group of words gathering for a party where they finally have a night off without needing to adhere to their definition but that doesn't mean it's a night without meaning.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

With four quite distinct stories, this collection offers an interesting variety of narratives to provoke continued thought on the assorted ideas raised long beyond the conclusion of the tales with some of the stories tipping more toward the mildly surreal, others trending toward what might seem eerily timely, or a combination thereof. As with nearly any collection of stories there are bound to be those that may be more memorable or appeal more strongly to some readers than others; “Solar Maximum 2025” and “A Night at the U-Ball” stand out as rather intriguing concepts from these gathered stories, with the latter especially as a fun and entertaining exploration of language that also serves as a serious reflection of how society.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Briann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Feeder - 3.5
🦈 I was not a huge fan of the ending – “I was attracted by your sadness”
🦈 I liked the shark metaphor

Feather Falls - 2
🪶 It was hard to find empathy or common ground with the main character when he was a Peeping Tom and attracted to his step-sister

Solar Maximum 2025 3.5-4
🐾 While it was an interesting idea, I think the ending was too unrealistic. Somebody would have called the police, Helen would have lost all parental rights, and ended up in jail, etc. There is no way that everything was going to go back to the way it was before, and everyone was going to brush aside the fact that Helen used electric collars on her children.
🐾 “Helen holds Brynn’s remote and turns it to the highest level. She’s not afraid to use it, but stops to consider why people are suddenly fearless of her. She can’t answer this and is paralyzed.”

A Night at the U-Ball - 5
⁉️ A very interesting, creative idea
⁉️ I can see English teachers assigning this short story to their students

Pipeliner - 2
🗺️ Plot/story just didn’t seem to go anywhere

[Douglas Fergus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to list what I loved about this book, rather than try to write a polished, perfect review.
It was easy to read and it pulled me along and made me want to keep reading. The stories were so descriptive that I could imagine a movie playing in my mind. The clever plots were sprinkled with humor. I loved the witty dialog and at times, playful nature of the writing. One story in particular was very original and funny to me, as a word lover, like something that Bill Bryson would have written.
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[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of four short stories that all take place in California. Each of the stories are different and all quite eclectic. I always struggle a bit with short stories because I miss the plot and character development of a full novel, but the author does a good job of getting across the story he wants to tell in a few pages.

The last story about the words was a bit too "out there" for me personally, but I enjoyed the first three.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories and this did not disappoint! The author does a great job with writing these stories in a concise way that still sucks you into the story and ends them in a satisfying way.
The last story is unique, and at least for me, challenging in a way. It was fun and I’ve never read anything quite like it. That being said, I can’t wait to read more from this author. He definitely thinks outside of the box and holds the attention of the reader!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must not be a short story person. I would just start to get into the story, and it would end. The next story had nothing to do with the previous one. I read the whole book, but it just wasn't for me.

[Crystal Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting niche short story read! Each different and compelling. Thoughtful time spent with much enjoyment. Thank you!

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

*fun collection of stories that are well-written and easy to read
*it is a very quick read which will keep your attention from beginning to end
*highly recommend

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received from Goodreads giveaway. I don’t think short stories are really for me. I always feel like I want more story. Or I’m going huh? I guess I missed the point of that.

[Sara Gast · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway. I was hoping to like it, but unfortunately this one was just not for me.

[Nicole Cleaveland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this from one of the Goodreads giveaways. I like the concept of these stories. However this was simply not for and after reading the first two stories I made the decision to dnf.

[Alison Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from a Goodreads giveaway. It was a different type of read for me. It was unique but didn’t keep me interested or desiring to read more.

[Elizabeth Lyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome

A very great and a Really interesting book its awesome I love this super awesome book you should read it.

[Raptor77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A six collection stories, full with irony , humor and an interesting description of human being.

I just spent a Nice time reading each one. I think I am gonna follow this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.