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To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts
In these ten elegantly written short stories, Caitlin Hamilton Summie takes readers from WWII Kansas City to a poor, drug-ridden neighborhood in New York, from western Massachusetts to woodsy Wisconsin, and from the quiet of rural Minnesota to its pulsing Twin Cities, each time navigating the geographical boundaries that shape our lives as well as the geography of tender hearts, loss, and family bonds. Deeply moving and memorable, To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts examines the importance of family, the defining nature of place, the need for home, and the hope of reconciliation.
216 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2017
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June 17, 2018
🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈🥈
Congratulations to Caitlin Hamilton Summie ! She is the Silver Winner for this collection in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Short Stories https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
Updated 6/16/18
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Quiet writing, where the subtlety is so full of description, of feelings - this is what I found in this beautifully written collection of stories. Some readers may think that nothing happens because these are quiet stories, but for me everything happens. I don't read a lot of short stories, but every once in a while I venture out from reading novels when a collection gets my attention. With To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts, I was not disappointed as I sometimes am because short stories sometimes leave me wanting more . In this case I wanted more when I finished - more of these stories.
The stories felt connected but not necessarily by the presence of the same characters, although one of the characters appears in three of them. The link between them for me was manifested by a palatable sadness, memories of the past, grief over loss of loved ones, over loss of a bond that once existed between siblings, between parents and children. You won't find any apparitions here, but instead the things from within that haunt these characters. " I carefully sorted through a box of pictures.......Mom came home from work and there I was, spreading her memories out across her bedroom floor, searching for myself." (From "Points of Exchange") These are stories of family, of home, of leaving home for other places, of going back home for some or not when it seems impossible. These are stories of relationships - sibling relationships full of love at one time, then with distance not just of place but of "Geographies of the Heart" as is reflected in the story of that title; rifts between fathers and sons and things that bind them.
It's hard for me to even choose a favorite; I loved them all. Recommended for readers of short stories or to anyone who wants to be as captivated by this lovely writing and stories that will reach "the geographies" of their hearts as it did mine.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Fomite.
Congratulations to Caitlin Hamilton Summie ! She is the Silver Winner for this collection in the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in Short Stories https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
Updated 6/16/18
******************************************************************************
Quiet writing, where the subtlety is so full of description, of feelings - this is what I found in this beautifully written collection of stories. Some readers may think that nothing happens because these are quiet stories, but for me everything happens. I don't read a lot of short stories, but every once in a while I venture out from reading novels when a collection gets my attention. With To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts, I was not disappointed as I sometimes am because short stories sometimes leave me wanting more . In this case I wanted more when I finished - more of these stories.
The stories felt connected but not necessarily by the presence of the same characters, although one of the characters appears in three of them. The link between them for me was manifested by a palatable sadness, memories of the past, grief over loss of loved ones, over loss of a bond that once existed between siblings, between parents and children. You won't find any apparitions here, but instead the things from within that haunt these characters. " I carefully sorted through a box of pictures.......Mom came home from work and there I was, spreading her memories out across her bedroom floor, searching for myself." (From "Points of Exchange") These are stories of family, of home, of leaving home for other places, of going back home for some or not when it seems impossible. These are stories of relationships - sibling relationships full of love at one time, then with distance not just of place but of "Geographies of the Heart" as is reflected in the story of that title; rifts between fathers and sons and things that bind them.
It's hard for me to even choose a favorite; I loved them all. Recommended for readers of short stories or to anyone who wants to be as captivated by this lovely writing and stories that will reach "the geographies" of their hearts as it did mine.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Fomite.
December 16, 2021
These ten short stories are all, each one, so softly exquisite, perfect in each brief encapsulated moment of time, of personal feelings exposed, shared moments, delightfully poignant. Each story painted in such detail, with such a clear sense of emotions, the sadness, or memories, heartbreak, loss… those moments in life that one tends to remember in detail even years later. Snippets of time encapsulated in stories where each word feels carefully chosen.
Short stories are something I’m not often drawn to, although this past year or two, I’ve found several that I’ve enjoyed. This collection feels less like a collection of separate stories than those bound together as one by the quiet hopelessness, sadness, loss, despair that pervades these everyday, common lives with everyday, common problems: war, the loss of loved ones, watching someone you love slowly fade from this life, slipping away until not even their breath remains. Family conflicts, family tension, life’s disappointments. No one gets through life without experiencing some amount of pain and heartache.
I loved each of these stories, each spoke to a different part of me, with so many passages that I loved. I loved how Caitlin Hamilton Summie captured the essence of these places, whether they were on a farm or in near isolation, or the middle of a city, these eras, as well, so many little touches that spoke volumes about who these people were, and how and when and where they lived. There is a quiet simplicity to the telling of these stories, a touch of Marilynne Robinson with a trace of Kent Haruf, a sprinkling of Andrew Krivak, perhaps. Each word seems to be deliberated over and deliberately chosen.
”Who will lay claim to the past? That was what we were arguing about, who would control the way we were remembered. We had not thought of what we were doing. We had not practiced the kinds of verbal reconciliation that we’d need. That came later, slowly, like the snow that winter.”
“We’re from the same place, but we have different geographies of the heart.”
For me, that is the underlying message of these beautifully written short stories. Recognizing our differences, but honoring those thoughts, those emotions, our humanity, in others as well.
Published: 08 Aug 2017
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Fomite
August 27, 2017
4.5 Gorgeous, heartfelt stories, from the first to the last. All the characters in the stories are looking back, to a time or place, situation that made a big impression on them. The ghosts they carry of these past events, some looking for closure, others return home to a place of safety. The descriptive writing, the cold, the snow, boots crunching, branches glistening, spot on for the upper Midwest. Autumn and the carpet of leaves, cooler nights, hot chocolate and fire places for warmth
The characters seem so very real, I actually could picture and indeed feel a part of these stories, the writing is so evocative, inclusive. A librarian and her young daughter and friends, temporarily lost in a snow storm, a man remembering the first time he saw a calf born, remembering when his son his born that his son, because of his decision will never see nor experience the things he did growing up in a farm. So many of these are memorable because of the little details, in the first story, a pair of dog tags from a dead father.
All these stories are complete in themselves, a very difficult thing to do in shorts, a very rare find.
Thanks, Angela.
The characters seem so very real, I actually could picture and indeed feel a part of these stories, the writing is so evocative, inclusive. A librarian and her young daughter and friends, temporarily lost in a snow storm, a man remembering the first time he saw a calf born, remembering when his son his born that his son, because of his decision will never see nor experience the things he did growing up in a farm. So many of these are memorable because of the little details, in the first story, a pair of dog tags from a dead father.
All these stories are complete in themselves, a very difficult thing to do in shorts, a very rare find.
Thanks, Angela.
May 26, 2018
5 short story stars (even if you don’t typically like short stories!) to To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This book has won multiple awards, and after reading all the stories, it’s no wonder why. Caitlin Hamilton Summie is adept at writing deeply emotional short stories with a single thread uniting them .
Themes we can all relate to of family, reconciliation, and home going, resound within these pages with simple and quiet, yet deeply profound words. I found myself highlighting passages on most every page.
Even if you do not typically enjoy short stories, this is a collection to give a try. Nothing is clipped or rushed. There is plenty of resonance, much on which to reflect, and the loosely-tied themes bring them all together and offer a smooth connection. This book made me fall in love with the short story.
“We’re from the same place, but we have different geographies of the heart.”
Thank you to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for the complimentary copy. I will be revisiting this beauty!
This book has won multiple awards, and after reading all the stories, it’s no wonder why. Caitlin Hamilton Summie is adept at writing deeply emotional short stories with a single thread uniting them .
Themes we can all relate to of family, reconciliation, and home going, resound within these pages with simple and quiet, yet deeply profound words. I found myself highlighting passages on most every page.
Even if you do not typically enjoy short stories, this is a collection to give a try. Nothing is clipped or rushed. There is plenty of resonance, much on which to reflect, and the loosely-tied themes bring them all together and offer a smooth connection. This book made me fall in love with the short story.
“We’re from the same place, but we have different geographies of the heart.”
Thank you to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for the complimentary copy. I will be revisiting this beauty!
January 4, 2018
These ten beautifully written short stories touch the senses and the heart. Each story is splendidly crafted, choosing each scene for maximum, emotional response from the reader. I do not list favorites because they're all memorable, though some touched me more than others, and each story captures the essence of a passionate response. Some of the subjects covered by this book are loss of a loved one, grief, family bond, finding where you belong, war, friendship and aging. The characters feel real and flawed. They weave the ten short stories together. I am not one who reads short stories often, but when I find a collection that moves me, I most assuredly must recommend the book.
August 25, 2020
4.5★
“Every room held a slim memory, like a sleeve.”
Every story holds a memory. These are stories I will read again. Stories with connections to each other, whether through characters, circumstance or weather. These are thought-provoking, nail-on-the-head pieces that show what it is to be a grandfather, from both his point of view and his adult granddaughter’s. Life and death and families. Not all the same family, except that all of us really are.
And COLD! Winter in northern America is a time when people live in close quarters. You can’t just impulsively slam the door and go for a walk to escape an argument. This excerpt is from a story where a mother is trying to find her child at the bus stop after school, and then she reminisces about her own wintry adventure with her little brother at about the same age.
“the snow fell long after the bus brought them back home. In mid-afternoon the bus appeared out of the white haze in flashes of yellow, the rumble of its engine muted by the steady, heavy snow. I walked toward the blurs of color which I knew were children, searching. I took children by the shoulders, by the elbows, and turned them round until I could see their faces.”
She finds her, but her car won’t start, and when she begins to lead her daughter and some other kids on a cross-country shortcut, her daughter wants to head a different direction. Mother nervously remembers when she was little:
“The blizzard which tore through town when I was ten was full of wind and whirling snow and made of a cold raw enough to kill a man. I dressed to go outside, and my little brother, Ray, followed. We didn’t think anything of sneaking out the back door for a minute or two.”
They walked for ages before they were brought inside. The next morning, her father
“took us out into the backyard. He showed us little indentations in the snow, what was left of our footprints. We had been walking in circles. ‘You could have been out here ‘til you froze, just trying to find the back door . . . Winter’s no thing to play around with, Dad said. ‘You think winter is all snowmen and hot chocolate and ice skating and Christmas at the end. Well,’ he said. ‘Well’.”
There are some wonderful old people, stubborn people (adult brother in wheelchair who insists on living alone in a remote wilderness area), many connected to one family.
The character I remember best is probably Sarah, who crops up in different stories in different guises. She’s a child, she’s a mother, she’s researching family history and annoying her grandmother when seeking answers about grandmother’s sister, the black sheep of the family.
Then again, some of the other characters pop back into mind. I loved the stories and the story-telling. The humour, this from a man living alone (in the cold) with
“a yellow lab named Jack, who has a bit of a farting problem. I’m constantly opening the front door and ushering Jack outside, which is, in the end (no pun intended), pointless. I’m still left with the stink, and I’d rather have his company.”
Memories, and how they work. This excerpt reminds me of the Indigenous Memory Code used in oral traditions, particularly the Australian Aboriginal songlines, or at least my understanding of them. Everything has some significance in history, as part of the story. Here’s a modern, American version where Sarah is visiting the house she grew up in with her parents and grandparents “the generations piled in layers, like the number of floors: three. . .
I had watched the ritual picking of the cucumber yield and their slow progression into sweet pickles, Grandma patiently stirring, Grandpa quick to swear if he sliced a finger, which he’d wag at me. I understood references to the point system and knew old Navy jokes that no small child should know. I learned when to fold in a poker game. Every room held a slim memory, like a sleeve.”
Wonderful writing, wonderful stories. These are why short stories are my favourite genre.
Anyone who is a fan of Elizabeth Strout’s stories will enjoy these, I think. Thanks to NetGalley and Fomite for the review copy from which I’ve quoted (so words may have changed).
UPDATE This was a silver award winner in 2017, but I only just noticed! https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
“Every room held a slim memory, like a sleeve.”
Every story holds a memory. These are stories I will read again. Stories with connections to each other, whether through characters, circumstance or weather. These are thought-provoking, nail-on-the-head pieces that show what it is to be a grandfather, from both his point of view and his adult granddaughter’s. Life and death and families. Not all the same family, except that all of us really are.
And COLD! Winter in northern America is a time when people live in close quarters. You can’t just impulsively slam the door and go for a walk to escape an argument. This excerpt is from a story where a mother is trying to find her child at the bus stop after school, and then she reminisces about her own wintry adventure with her little brother at about the same age.
“the snow fell long after the bus brought them back home. In mid-afternoon the bus appeared out of the white haze in flashes of yellow, the rumble of its engine muted by the steady, heavy snow. I walked toward the blurs of color which I knew were children, searching. I took children by the shoulders, by the elbows, and turned them round until I could see their faces.”
She finds her, but her car won’t start, and when she begins to lead her daughter and some other kids on a cross-country shortcut, her daughter wants to head a different direction. Mother nervously remembers when she was little:
“The blizzard which tore through town when I was ten was full of wind and whirling snow and made of a cold raw enough to kill a man. I dressed to go outside, and my little brother, Ray, followed. We didn’t think anything of sneaking out the back door for a minute or two.”
They walked for ages before they were brought inside. The next morning, her father
“took us out into the backyard. He showed us little indentations in the snow, what was left of our footprints. We had been walking in circles. ‘You could have been out here ‘til you froze, just trying to find the back door . . . Winter’s no thing to play around with, Dad said. ‘You think winter is all snowmen and hot chocolate and ice skating and Christmas at the end. Well,’ he said. ‘Well’.”
There are some wonderful old people, stubborn people (adult brother in wheelchair who insists on living alone in a remote wilderness area), many connected to one family.
The character I remember best is probably Sarah, who crops up in different stories in different guises. She’s a child, she’s a mother, she’s researching family history and annoying her grandmother when seeking answers about grandmother’s sister, the black sheep of the family.
Then again, some of the other characters pop back into mind. I loved the stories and the story-telling. The humour, this from a man living alone (in the cold) with
“a yellow lab named Jack, who has a bit of a farting problem. I’m constantly opening the front door and ushering Jack outside, which is, in the end (no pun intended), pointless. I’m still left with the stink, and I’d rather have his company.”
Memories, and how they work. This excerpt reminds me of the Indigenous Memory Code used in oral traditions, particularly the Australian Aboriginal songlines, or at least my understanding of them. Everything has some significance in history, as part of the story. Here’s a modern, American version where Sarah is visiting the house she grew up in with her parents and grandparents “the generations piled in layers, like the number of floors: three. . .
I had watched the ritual picking of the cucumber yield and their slow progression into sweet pickles, Grandma patiently stirring, Grandpa quick to swear if he sliced a finger, which he’d wag at me. I understood references to the point system and knew old Navy jokes that no small child should know. I learned when to fold in a poker game. Every room held a slim memory, like a sleeve.”
Wonderful writing, wonderful stories. These are why short stories are my favourite genre.
Anyone who is a fan of Elizabeth Strout’s stories will enjoy these, I think. Thanks to NetGalley and Fomite for the review copy from which I’ve quoted (so words may have changed).
UPDATE This was a silver award winner in 2017, but I only just noticed! https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
March 24, 2018
"I bet in heaven I'll see some tiny angel and know it's face."
TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS is a unique and tastefully written collection of ten heart heavy stories.
Caitlin Hamilton Summie explores feelings of grief after loss, last goodbyes to a memorable life, love and forgiveness all interlinked to the importance of family.
So many feelings....so much said....so few, well-chosen words. Well done!
Many thanks to Fomite via NetGalley for the reading opportunity in exchange for review.
June 28, 2020
I was first introduced to Caitlin Hamilton-Summie through one of her 2019 short stories, Whole New Worlds, which I loved. I was thrilled to discover that the main characters (Sarah and her husband, Al, and her grandparents) appeared in four out of ten short stories in To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts published in 2017.
Several titles to the stories (e.g., Brothers, Sons, Motherly) call attention to family relationships, which feature prominently in this collection of stories that reveal the baggage or ghosts residing in the closest of ties, from which affected members seek to be free. In many of the stories, the strongest and loveliest bonds are between adult children and their grandparents and between individuals and their dogs. They were a joy to read.
In describing family relationships, loss and grief in various forms are presented in haunting ways that are relatable. The characters encounter alienation or displacement from their family members sometimes from acts of disgrace, inability to live up to expectations, or self-imposed exile from physical disability or shame. Usually, a death in the family is the occasion that transports an estranged individual back to the family and provides an opportunity to come to terms with ghosts that have not been laid to rest. There are angry words and resentment that bubble up from long buried graves of discontent. There is also effort at seeking understanding across the gaping years and reconciliation. But what holds true in all of these families is an undeniable thread of love that resists erosion and that re-surfaces when the ghosts of the past are allowed to rest. ‘Love has an amazing capacity to endure.’
One story that made an impression is Geographies of the Heart, which describes the relationship between two sisters who are estranged from each other. Sarah harbors anger against her younger sister for not making a trip to the hospital to see their grandfather who was dying. Many years later, she makes an attempt to mend the rift. Sisters may be raised in the same family but they have different geographies of the heart. To me, the sisters’ struggle to understand each other reveals how hard it can be to love people closest to ourselves (we may love but not like them) and how despite this, we must still love the hardest way we can. When she was interviewed about this collection of stories, Hamilton-Summie reported, “What I love about “Geographies of the Heart” is that it’s the deepest story in the collection. It’s the story that peels the layers back, and when you’re done you really feel that you know these people in a way that you might know somebody in real life—that this might be the kind of emotional truth that people can really get to if they give each other a chance.”
Ten wonderful stories. May I entice you to read them?
Several titles to the stories (e.g., Brothers, Sons, Motherly) call attention to family relationships, which feature prominently in this collection of stories that reveal the baggage or ghosts residing in the closest of ties, from which affected members seek to be free. In many of the stories, the strongest and loveliest bonds are between adult children and their grandparents and between individuals and their dogs. They were a joy to read.
In describing family relationships, loss and grief in various forms are presented in haunting ways that are relatable. The characters encounter alienation or displacement from their family members sometimes from acts of disgrace, inability to live up to expectations, or self-imposed exile from physical disability or shame. Usually, a death in the family is the occasion that transports an estranged individual back to the family and provides an opportunity to come to terms with ghosts that have not been laid to rest. There are angry words and resentment that bubble up from long buried graves of discontent. There is also effort at seeking understanding across the gaping years and reconciliation. But what holds true in all of these families is an undeniable thread of love that resists erosion and that re-surfaces when the ghosts of the past are allowed to rest. ‘Love has an amazing capacity to endure.’
One story that made an impression is Geographies of the Heart, which describes the relationship between two sisters who are estranged from each other. Sarah harbors anger against her younger sister for not making a trip to the hospital to see their grandfather who was dying. Many years later, she makes an attempt to mend the rift. Sisters may be raised in the same family but they have different geographies of the heart. To me, the sisters’ struggle to understand each other reveals how hard it can be to love people closest to ourselves (we may love but not like them) and how despite this, we must still love the hardest way we can. When she was interviewed about this collection of stories, Hamilton-Summie reported, “What I love about “Geographies of the Heart” is that it’s the deepest story in the collection. It’s the story that peels the layers back, and when you’re done you really feel that you know these people in a way that you might know somebody in real life—that this might be the kind of emotional truth that people can really get to if they give each other a chance.”
Ten wonderful stories. May I entice you to read them?
August 25, 2017
4.5 stars. TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS by Caitlin Hamilton Summie is a collection of ten beautifully written short stories. Some stories take place in states I haver never visited, but I could feel the cold wind and snow when Carol met Jenny and the other little ones at the school bus stop during a blizzard, I could see the woods, lake and narrow dirt road with potholes and muddy patches as George wheeled himself along to meet his brother and I could hear the noises, see the drug addicts and smell "the world in one neighbourhood" where Jenny lived in New York City.
I enjoyed reading these stories about belonging, family, community, loss, love, grief and hope.
This quote from GEOGRAPHIES OF THE HEART will stay with me.
'His doctor had told us that Grandpa's systems would slow and then stop one by one, as if someone were systematically going through a house and shutting off all the lights. I still haven't gotten over that image.'
Caitlin Hamilton Summie with her elegant descriptive language and well developed characters has me longing to read more of her work.
Special thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for writing the exceptional book, TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS. Thanks also to NetGalley and Fomite Press for providing me with a digital ARC enabling me to read it and write my thoughts.
I enjoyed reading these stories about belonging, family, community, loss, love, grief and hope.
This quote from GEOGRAPHIES OF THE HEART will stay with me.
'His doctor had told us that Grandpa's systems would slow and then stop one by one, as if someone were systematically going through a house and shutting off all the lights. I still haven't gotten over that image.'
Caitlin Hamilton Summie with her elegant descriptive language and well developed characters has me longing to read more of her work.
Special thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for writing the exceptional book, TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS. Thanks also to NetGalley and Fomite Press for providing me with a digital ARC enabling me to read it and write my thoughts.
August 24, 2020
I would give this short story collection 2.5 stars.
8 of the 10 short stories have been published in what I would call small literary presses. Summie started out with a bang and ended with a bang. In the middle were some good short stories mixed with what I thought were some ‘meh’ ones.
• Tags (previously published in slightly different form in Beloit Fiction Journal): 5 stars
• Growing up Cold (previously published in Hypertext Magazine): 3.5 stars
• Points of Exchange (previously published in slightly different form in Puerta del Sol): 4 stars
• Brothers (previously published Emerging Writers Network Holiday Gift Email, 2016): 3 stars
• Patchwork: 2.5 stars
• Sons (previously published in The Mud Season Review): 2 stars
• Geographies of the Heart (previously published in Long Story, Short): 2 stars
• Motherly: 3 stars
• Fish Eyes in Moonlight (previously published in slightly different form in Wisconsin Review): 2 stars
• Taking Root (previously published in Belmont Story Review): 5 stars
Notables in my eyes were:
• Tags, which takes place in the Kansas City in the 1940s when WWII is going on. It involves a boy and girl, Jimmy and Delores, and their friendship. The boy loses his father in the war (he explains to Delores that his father got shot “a bunch of times”), and he gets his father’s dog tags and is always rubbing them whenever he is with Delores… And then it’s her turn, in which she too loses her father, but she never gets her father’s dog tags. She last saw her father when she was only four and only has vague memories of him — she asks her mother when she will get her father’s dog tags.
“Dolly,” she said, “you won’t ever get his dog tags.”…A new image came to me. I saw a cascading fireball, doused by salt water. I saw my father, whoever he was, those tags, descending hot and red and splintered into the cool relief of the sea.
• Roots, in which a husband and wife (Al and Sarah) have a 4-year old child, and who lose their second child as a miscarriage. The wife is really affected and leaves the husband briefly to take a road trip with the daughter to clear her senses. While gone, neighbors across the street who Al thought were childless and would remain forever so reached out to him because the wife turns out to be pregnant and might be losing their baby. So who should he reach out to but his wife’s sister, Glennie, who is a noted pediatrician. It turns out the reader is already acquainted with the pediatrician in an earlier story in the collection — ‘Geographies of the Heart’. Sarah in that story was having issues with Glennie when Glennie was pursuing her med school studies and did not come home to say goodbye to her grandfather who was dying. I am always a sucker for interconnected/interrelated stories. Anyway, Taking Root was a touching story, and it was well-written, and it struck a chord with me. It bought back sad memories — I knew of a husband and wife…they were older and when the wife became pregnant it was a pleasant surprise to all, but they were apprehensive because she had had two miscarriages prior to that. I couldn’t think of two people who would be better parents….we all wanted the pregnancy to succeed but she miscarried again. It was so sad…I am sure many of us can relate such life stories.
Reviews:
https://southernlitreview.com/reviews...
https://www.startribune.com/review-to...
review and an interview with the author: https://bloom-site.com/2017/08/01/tra... (The interviewer alludes to two groups of connected stories…I’m not sure what she means…perhaps there were more relationships between the stories that I am aware of.)
8 of the 10 short stories have been published in what I would call small literary presses. Summie started out with a bang and ended with a bang. In the middle were some good short stories mixed with what I thought were some ‘meh’ ones.
• Tags (previously published in slightly different form in Beloit Fiction Journal): 5 stars
• Growing up Cold (previously published in Hypertext Magazine): 3.5 stars
• Points of Exchange (previously published in slightly different form in Puerta del Sol): 4 stars
• Brothers (previously published Emerging Writers Network Holiday Gift Email, 2016): 3 stars
• Patchwork: 2.5 stars
• Sons (previously published in The Mud Season Review): 2 stars
• Geographies of the Heart (previously published in Long Story, Short): 2 stars
• Motherly: 3 stars
• Fish Eyes in Moonlight (previously published in slightly different form in Wisconsin Review): 2 stars
• Taking Root (previously published in Belmont Story Review): 5 stars
Notables in my eyes were:
• Tags, which takes place in the Kansas City in the 1940s when WWII is going on. It involves a boy and girl, Jimmy and Delores, and their friendship. The boy loses his father in the war (he explains to Delores that his father got shot “a bunch of times”), and he gets his father’s dog tags and is always rubbing them whenever he is with Delores… And then it’s her turn, in which she too loses her father, but she never gets her father’s dog tags. She last saw her father when she was only four and only has vague memories of him — she asks her mother when she will get her father’s dog tags.
“Dolly,” she said, “you won’t ever get his dog tags.”…A new image came to me. I saw a cascading fireball, doused by salt water. I saw my father, whoever he was, those tags, descending hot and red and splintered into the cool relief of the sea.
• Roots, in which a husband and wife (Al and Sarah) have a 4-year old child, and who lose their second child as a miscarriage. The wife is really affected and leaves the husband briefly to take a road trip with the daughter to clear her senses. While gone, neighbors across the street who Al thought were childless and would remain forever so reached out to him because the wife turns out to be pregnant and might be losing their baby. So who should he reach out to but his wife’s sister, Glennie, who is a noted pediatrician. It turns out the reader is already acquainted with the pediatrician in an earlier story in the collection — ‘Geographies of the Heart’. Sarah in that story was having issues with Glennie when Glennie was pursuing her med school studies and did not come home to say goodbye to her grandfather who was dying. I am always a sucker for interconnected/interrelated stories. Anyway, Taking Root was a touching story, and it was well-written, and it struck a chord with me. It bought back sad memories — I knew of a husband and wife…they were older and when the wife became pregnant it was a pleasant surprise to all, but they were apprehensive because she had had two miscarriages prior to that. I couldn’t think of two people who would be better parents….we all wanted the pregnancy to succeed but she miscarried again. It was so sad…I am sure many of us can relate such life stories.
Reviews:
https://southernlitreview.com/reviews...
https://www.startribune.com/review-to...
review and an interview with the author: https://bloom-site.com/2017/08/01/tra... (The interviewer alludes to two groups of connected stories…I’m not sure what she means…perhaps there were more relationships between the stories that I am aware of.)
November 13, 2018
Ten short stories... all about ghosts. No, not the ghosts that float around in white sheets. More like the ghosts of our past lives, people we miss or people that we feel guilty about or people who evoke sad memories.
So... ghost stories of a different kind.
So... ghost stories of a different kind.
July 26, 2017
4.5 stars
What a beautiful collection of short stories Caitlin Hamilton Summie has packaged in her book All the Ghosts We Lay To Rest. Past experience of short stories has been disapponting as they generally lack the depth of character found in full length novels, and I find myself getting frustrated by the fact that just as I begin to slip into the story it ends. Not so this time around. There was no faulting these stories for depth, and each one felt complete. So much so that on more than one occassion I had to wipe away an escaped tear. The writing was terrific and I'd be hard pressed to select a favorite from amongst the ten stories. They each appealed to me in some way or another, although I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a flicker of recognition and excitement each time Sarah and her family made a reappearance. Though the stories were all different they spoke strongly of family, of losses and of grief and yet they did not feel downcast. Somehow they managed to introduce an element of reconciliation and hope.
My only disappointments with these short stories were these:
1) I wanted more of these stories, and
2) I wanted more of that terrific writing, and I couldn't find any
other work attributed to this author.
If only other collections of short stories moved me the way this one did I would become an avid short story fan. My sincere thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for her efforts in writing & publishing this book and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a beautiful collection of short stories Caitlin Hamilton Summie has packaged in her book All the Ghosts We Lay To Rest. Past experience of short stories has been disapponting as they generally lack the depth of character found in full length novels, and I find myself getting frustrated by the fact that just as I begin to slip into the story it ends. Not so this time around. There was no faulting these stories for depth, and each one felt complete. So much so that on more than one occassion I had to wipe away an escaped tear. The writing was terrific and I'd be hard pressed to select a favorite from amongst the ten stories. They each appealed to me in some way or another, although I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a flicker of recognition and excitement each time Sarah and her family made a reappearance. Though the stories were all different they spoke strongly of family, of losses and of grief and yet they did not feel downcast. Somehow they managed to introduce an element of reconciliation and hope.
My only disappointments with these short stories were these:
1) I wanted more of these stories, and
2) I wanted more of that terrific writing, and I couldn't find any
other work attributed to this author.
If only other collections of short stories moved me the way this one did I would become an avid short story fan. My sincere thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie for her efforts in writing & publishing this book and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2018
Several of my Goodread friends gave rave reviews of this collection. It went on to become a prize winner. I opened the book to the first page expecting great things. All of my expectations were exceeded.
There is a quiet magic within her writing- it is as if a spell was cast over me and I was whisked to another place or time. Ms Summie is a master of immersion...and yet it is written so simply every word counting. It is a craftsman’s gift to us- each story is one for us to embrace...to ponder. The lives that she shares with us linger in our hearts.
The only regret this book leaves me is that it sat on my TBR list for 6 months. It is a gem ,one to be cherished and yes, one that you want to share.
There is a quiet magic within her writing- it is as if a spell was cast over me and I was whisked to another place or time. Ms Summie is a master of immersion...and yet it is written so simply every word counting. It is a craftsman’s gift to us- each story is one for us to embrace...to ponder. The lives that she shares with us linger in our hearts.
The only regret this book leaves me is that it sat on my TBR list for 6 months. It is a gem ,one to be cherished and yes, one that you want to share.
October 16, 2017
via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
'Some things cannot last; some things last too long.'
I wish this collection lasted longer, because the stories in this collection are some of the most beautifully written I’ve ever read. Not every author has the gift of reaching into human beings, pulling out all the parts that make us whole and then creating characters that you swear are real. These are flawed beings, struggling with different memories, fighting fears, curious, questioning, broken, dying and every emotion is raw, genuine. Every thought and feeling is intrinsically characteristic of human behavior. They have misplaced anger, are sometimes selfish, lonely, some are broken having only a ghost of a memory of their loved one, others are furious with their family and the many ways they’ve failed them. There have been accidents that altered the course of lives, one wheelchair bound and determined to run from the noise of it all, in the middle of nature not kind to wheelchairs. Another is dying in bed, cared for by his adult granddaughter in the story Fish Eyes In Moonlight, a title I absolutely adore. “My mind was the same, my soul was the same soul, but my body was a body I did not know.” I felt I was dying with him, slowly crawling to a final farewell, as this thing will one day happen to us all, the curling in, dissipating and yet the mind still violently alive, not quite ready to go and yet too tired to cling. He, for a while, becomes the child they wanted, in a strange sad way. It was a tender story, powerful.
In Geographies of the Heart, two sisters experience the withering away of their loved one that puts a strain on their bond. As Sarah fumes, Glennie inexplicable absents herself and all she can see is her fury merged with grief. All the ‘should have beens’, all the expectation Sarah feels, but the things waiting to be said on her tongue have their hooks in the past. One wonders just what really bothers Sarah about Glennie’s abandonment. The angrier she gets, understanding dawns.
The first story, Tags is about children whose fathers are lost to war one way or another. From the moment I tucked into the book, I was catching my breath and aching. Jimmy has his dad’s dog tags and a habit of rubbing them back and forth. “That’s how I remember those days; Jimmy and me sitting on the curb, tired of marbles, tired of tin, him with that sound of his father, and me with nothing of mine but his name.” There went my heart, this author plays with your emotions, because it seems so real. Because, I know, somewhere it is real for someone.
This is a collection that will reel you in.On the surface, it doesn’t seem as if anything enormous is happening, but it’s the quiet moments that murdered me. It’s the characters confronting their pain, struggles, hopes that had me enraptured. For a while, I lived in the emotional state of these characters, I think we all do at some point, if we’re alive to the crawl and claw of life. Each story moved me for different reasons, in many short story collections not every story resonates with me, but in To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, they all did. I truly hope that Caitlin Hamilton Summie is already working on something new, because she has made a fan of me! Read it- beautiful!
Available Now!
Published August 2017 Fomite
'Some things cannot last; some things last too long.'
I wish this collection lasted longer, because the stories in this collection are some of the most beautifully written I’ve ever read. Not every author has the gift of reaching into human beings, pulling out all the parts that make us whole and then creating characters that you swear are real. These are flawed beings, struggling with different memories, fighting fears, curious, questioning, broken, dying and every emotion is raw, genuine. Every thought and feeling is intrinsically characteristic of human behavior. They have misplaced anger, are sometimes selfish, lonely, some are broken having only a ghost of a memory of their loved one, others are furious with their family and the many ways they’ve failed them. There have been accidents that altered the course of lives, one wheelchair bound and determined to run from the noise of it all, in the middle of nature not kind to wheelchairs. Another is dying in bed, cared for by his adult granddaughter in the story Fish Eyes In Moonlight, a title I absolutely adore. “My mind was the same, my soul was the same soul, but my body was a body I did not know.” I felt I was dying with him, slowly crawling to a final farewell, as this thing will one day happen to us all, the curling in, dissipating and yet the mind still violently alive, not quite ready to go and yet too tired to cling. He, for a while, becomes the child they wanted, in a strange sad way. It was a tender story, powerful.
In Geographies of the Heart, two sisters experience the withering away of their loved one that puts a strain on their bond. As Sarah fumes, Glennie inexplicable absents herself and all she can see is her fury merged with grief. All the ‘should have beens’, all the expectation Sarah feels, but the things waiting to be said on her tongue have their hooks in the past. One wonders just what really bothers Sarah about Glennie’s abandonment. The angrier she gets, understanding dawns.
The first story, Tags is about children whose fathers are lost to war one way or another. From the moment I tucked into the book, I was catching my breath and aching. Jimmy has his dad’s dog tags and a habit of rubbing them back and forth. “That’s how I remember those days; Jimmy and me sitting on the curb, tired of marbles, tired of tin, him with that sound of his father, and me with nothing of mine but his name.” There went my heart, this author plays with your emotions, because it seems so real. Because, I know, somewhere it is real for someone.
This is a collection that will reel you in.On the surface, it doesn’t seem as if anything enormous is happening, but it’s the quiet moments that murdered me. It’s the characters confronting their pain, struggles, hopes that had me enraptured. For a while, I lived in the emotional state of these characters, I think we all do at some point, if we’re alive to the crawl and claw of life. Each story moved me for different reasons, in many short story collections not every story resonates with me, but in To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, they all did. I truly hope that Caitlin Hamilton Summie is already working on something new, because she has made a fan of me! Read it- beautiful!
Available Now!
Published August 2017 Fomite
July 25, 2017
A well written collection of 10 deeply moving and beautiful short stories. Pure enjoyment, I rated all the stars.
July 24, 2018
I rarely read short stories but a friend recommended this collection. I loved every one of the stories. What a brilliant and haunting collection. Caitlin’s sense of place and character shine through in her writing. I highlighted numerous bits in which her observations and flow of words were simple yet stunning.
November 19, 2017
Caitlin Hamilton Summie's ten stories in To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts are heartfelt revelations into the universal experience of loss and grief. Told in the first person, each story offers a fully rounded and complex character caught in crisis. The stories are set in the upper Midwest where people 'grew up cold'.
The writing is lovely and evocative, transporting us into another's life and world.
A girl whose father is a WWII pilot the admits that the war's generals were spoken of as if her family knew them personally. "I knew these men better than my father."
A woman's sister dies in a car crash. Their mother had died choking on a peanut butter sandwich. (This is not a joke. I was barely twenty when I met a man whose sister chocked to death on a peanut butter sandwich. I worry about this every time I have a PB sandwich.) The woman misses being close to her brother. She drinks too much.
I related to a woman who lasted only six months in New York City, lacking inner city street smarts and an understanding of the rules. My husband and I lived in the inner city for a year and a half before leaving.
The fierce need for independence drives a paraplegic to the family's deep woods cabin after his divorce. His brother fears for his safety living alone and pressures him to return.
A woman visits her grandmother in the nursing home. She is desperately curious about her grandmother's sister, who no one speaks of. Yet that sister's name is embroidered on the family patchwork quilt. The woman asks her mother about this missing family member and is told that the grandmother asked her not to talk about it, "not to carry that particular ghost through the generations." The woman presses for information in a battle over who would control the past.
A man who grew up on a farm grapples with his son's wanting a different life for himself. The son fears his newborn son will never understand who he is without understanding the farm.
The death of a grandfather brings division between sisters, one who attended him in his illness and death while the other stayed away. Their own needs drive them apart as they try to find reconciliation.
A single mother watches her only child, a daughter, leave for college. She had gone to California instead of taking a college scholarship, returning home pregnant. Now she is a mother, learning how to let go.
An elderly man is bedridden in his son's house, his memory teeming with ghosts. He knows his son and daughter-in-law are getting weary while he lingers on. I was reminded of my grandfather Milo, my grandmother's second husband. He lived to be over 101, outlasting two wives and a daughter and three step-children. He wondered why God did not take him. He was unable to walk and was blind, living in my aunt's home. To have one's mind and a failing body is a horrible fate.
After a miscarriage, a wife takes a break, leaving her husband to struggle on his own for a few days. He is comforted by a neighbor's dog who has adopted him as a surrogate owner. The neighbors are friendly but keep to themselves. The man realizes he did not even know his own wife's heart. He contemplates loss and grief and how we are all separate and alone in grief.
I purchased this as an ebook and read the stories over several weeks. I love these short stories; they are like a concentrated laser light into the human soul.
Owner of Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, promotion for books, authors, publishers, and literary organizations, Caitlin has represented several books I have reviewed, The Velveteen Daughter by Laurel Davis Huber, This Is How it Begins by Joan Dempsey, and Wild Mountain by Nancy Hayes Kilgore. Read an interview with Caitlin about her library at David Abram's blog The Quivering Pen at http://davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com/....
The writing is lovely and evocative, transporting us into another's life and world.
A girl whose father is a WWII pilot the admits that the war's generals were spoken of as if her family knew them personally. "I knew these men better than my father."
A woman's sister dies in a car crash. Their mother had died choking on a peanut butter sandwich. (This is not a joke. I was barely twenty when I met a man whose sister chocked to death on a peanut butter sandwich. I worry about this every time I have a PB sandwich.) The woman misses being close to her brother. She drinks too much.
I related to a woman who lasted only six months in New York City, lacking inner city street smarts and an understanding of the rules. My husband and I lived in the inner city for a year and a half before leaving.
The fierce need for independence drives a paraplegic to the family's deep woods cabin after his divorce. His brother fears for his safety living alone and pressures him to return.
A woman visits her grandmother in the nursing home. She is desperately curious about her grandmother's sister, who no one speaks of. Yet that sister's name is embroidered on the family patchwork quilt. The woman asks her mother about this missing family member and is told that the grandmother asked her not to talk about it, "not to carry that particular ghost through the generations." The woman presses for information in a battle over who would control the past.
A man who grew up on a farm grapples with his son's wanting a different life for himself. The son fears his newborn son will never understand who he is without understanding the farm.
The death of a grandfather brings division between sisters, one who attended him in his illness and death while the other stayed away. Their own needs drive them apart as they try to find reconciliation.
A single mother watches her only child, a daughter, leave for college. She had gone to California instead of taking a college scholarship, returning home pregnant. Now she is a mother, learning how to let go.
An elderly man is bedridden in his son's house, his memory teeming with ghosts. He knows his son and daughter-in-law are getting weary while he lingers on. I was reminded of my grandfather Milo, my grandmother's second husband. He lived to be over 101, outlasting two wives and a daughter and three step-children. He wondered why God did not take him. He was unable to walk and was blind, living in my aunt's home. To have one's mind and a failing body is a horrible fate.
After a miscarriage, a wife takes a break, leaving her husband to struggle on his own for a few days. He is comforted by a neighbor's dog who has adopted him as a surrogate owner. The neighbors are friendly but keep to themselves. The man realizes he did not even know his own wife's heart. He contemplates loss and grief and how we are all separate and alone in grief.
I purchased this as an ebook and read the stories over several weeks. I love these short stories; they are like a concentrated laser light into the human soul.
Owner of Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, promotion for books, authors, publishers, and literary organizations, Caitlin has represented several books I have reviewed, The Velveteen Daughter by Laurel Davis Huber, This Is How it Begins by Joan Dempsey, and Wild Mountain by Nancy Hayes Kilgore. Read an interview with Caitlin about her library at David Abram's blog The Quivering Pen at http://davidabramsbooks.blogspot.com/....
September 5, 2017
From the very first story, the reader knows she's in the hands of a masterful writer. Caitlin Hamilton Summie describes both geography and people with clarity and fullness. Her choices of perfect words are spot-on but seemingly effortless. In a few short pages, she creates strong relationships, allowing the reader to make meaningful emotional connections. Her sense of place is powerful. Truly a beautiful book!
January 24, 2022
5 stars. What sublime writing. Although each story was only around 20 pages long, I found I was invested and involved in all of them and wished they were longer and indeed felt that any one of them could have been adapted into a long story novel. It’s not often you come across a collection of short stories where you enjoy each and every one of them. Highly recommended.
June 3, 2017
Ten perfect short stories that gently bring to the surface the ghosts in the minds of the wonderful characters that people these stories, and in the telling call up our own ghosts and memories. As is so important for a great short story, every word, every sentence, every meaning, is a jewel. I was enchanted and moved by every one of Caitlin Hamilton-Summie’s stories, and sad when I closed the book at its end. Yet the joy of a collection like this is that it can be picked up again and again, and every new reading of a story will bring new insights, tweak new chords in our own memories and in our lives as we are living them now.
Each is the perfect length to read before you go to sleep, and your sleep will be deeper and sweeter (and perhaps your dreams will be more interesting). Or read one in the space between the events of your day for renewed energy and an enhanced appreciation of the small things in life, the small and oh-so-important small things, like love and loss and family and home, and the precious bonds to your past.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fomite for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this treasure trove.
Each is the perfect length to read before you go to sleep, and your sleep will be deeper and sweeter (and perhaps your dreams will be more interesting). Or read one in the space between the events of your day for renewed energy and an enhanced appreciation of the small things in life, the small and oh-so-important small things, like love and loss and family and home, and the precious bonds to your past.
Thank you to Netgalley and Fomite for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this treasure trove.
June 11, 2017
I tend to think of the temperature of stories as I read them. My taste skews way towards the warm. These are stories anchored in longing, in grief, in love, in blessed grace. So it was with this "thermometer" that I approached Caitlin Hamilton Summie's collection. Every one of them, all ten, all way warm. I think of one of my favorites, "Sons," a story that passes back and forth between two anchor births in the narrator's life, the first as a young boy watching the birth of a calf on his dad's ranch, the second as a grown man with the birth of his son. Between those two births, there's a great divide from a great loss, and this man is navigating that open space. My heart is fully there with him. This author reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, Kent Haruf, and that is high, high praise.
June 12, 2017
I received my copy via a Goodreads giveaway.
I enjoyed this short story collection. Each story has a strong sense of place - and each is very different - while the dialog in each story is quite convincing. Generally, the author writes in a spare style, leaving just enough to the imagination. Recommended.
I enjoyed this short story collection. Each story has a strong sense of place - and each is very different - while the dialog in each story is quite convincing. Generally, the author writes in a spare style, leaving just enough to the imagination. Recommended.
August 18, 2017
Rich
Treat yourself to this fine collection of superbly written short stories. Each is memorable and rich in details of the heart.
Treat yourself to this fine collection of superbly written short stories. Each is memorable and rich in details of the heart.
August 15, 2017
In this debut book, Caitlin Hamilton Summie uses the medium of the short story to explore the important junction points of lives. There is the man who waits in the hospital for his son to be born. A young girl from a middle-class background finds herself living in Alphabet City in New York, adrift from all she knows about life and relationships. A woman remembers a snowstorm and how shepherding schoolchildren to safety allowed her to find her adult strength and know she was up to the task of parenting. A grandfather dies and sisters discover the fault line in their sisterhood and the resentment when a family member grows in a way that is unanticipated. A woman decides to write down her family's history and finds the story of the sister who was written out of the family memories. One story picks up on a story related earlier, of sisters who have drifted apart but who are redefining what they mean to each other.
The character definitions are clear; the reader can picture the individuals who are portrayed and recognize their characteristics in other people they have known. The descriptions are luminous, taking the reader to the place in which the story is set. One example, 'My father grabbed me by the hand, and we jogged across the yard. The night air was cold. Subzero temperatures slapped me awake. Our boots crunched the snow as we ran. I will remember this always, this jog to the barn in the middle of the night with only the light of the stars.'
Caitlin earned her MFA With Distinction from Colorado State University. Since then her stories have been published in various places but the reader will be glad to find them collected into one book. Her deft writing explores what family means, how we love and how we let others down but as we keep trying to connect, find each other again and again. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in how we all relate to each other.
The character definitions are clear; the reader can picture the individuals who are portrayed and recognize their characteristics in other people they have known. The descriptions are luminous, taking the reader to the place in which the story is set. One example, 'My father grabbed me by the hand, and we jogged across the yard. The night air was cold. Subzero temperatures slapped me awake. Our boots crunched the snow as we ran. I will remember this always, this jog to the barn in the middle of the night with only the light of the stars.'
Caitlin earned her MFA With Distinction from Colorado State University. Since then her stories have been published in various places but the reader will be glad to find them collected into one book. Her deft writing explores what family means, how we love and how we let others down but as we keep trying to connect, find each other again and again. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in how we all relate to each other.
October 6, 2019
I’m not usually a big fan of short story collections, but this one came highly recommended by a GoodReads friend, Angela M., so I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.
What a wonderful collection of stories, not of ghosts in the supernatural sense, but of the ghosts we carry with us in our relationships with family. Each story touches upon the lives of family members and how they are coping with deaths, births, love, fears, memories, disagreements... all the emotions that bind us to parents, grandparents, children and siblings. Summie’s description of life in (usually) Minnesota is impeccable: you can feel the cold wind whipping around your face and envision the heavy snowfall that is blinding a mother as she leads her child through a blizzard. Her writing is beautiful and her stories are quiet, yet full of strength and resiliency.
There wasn’t a single story in this collection that I didn’t like. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys short story collections but, even more so, those who don’t enjoy them because this one is the exception to the rule. Of the 33 short story collections that I’ve rated so far here on GoodReads, only one has garnered 5 stars. I have no hesitation in making To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts my second 5-star short story collection. I can see why Summie was the 2017 Silver Winner for Foreward Indies Book of the Year Award in Short Stories.
What a wonderful collection of stories, not of ghosts in the supernatural sense, but of the ghosts we carry with us in our relationships with family. Each story touches upon the lives of family members and how they are coping with deaths, births, love, fears, memories, disagreements... all the emotions that bind us to parents, grandparents, children and siblings. Summie’s description of life in (usually) Minnesota is impeccable: you can feel the cold wind whipping around your face and envision the heavy snowfall that is blinding a mother as she leads her child through a blizzard. Her writing is beautiful and her stories are quiet, yet full of strength and resiliency.
There wasn’t a single story in this collection that I didn’t like. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys short story collections but, even more so, those who don’t enjoy them because this one is the exception to the rule. Of the 33 short story collections that I’ve rated so far here on GoodReads, only one has garnered 5 stars. I have no hesitation in making To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts my second 5-star short story collection. I can see why Summie was the 2017 Silver Winner for Foreward Indies Book of the Year Award in Short Stories.
January 4, 2018
Full disclosure— I decided to read To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts because I hoped to work with Caitlin Hamilton Summie as a publicist for my own forthcoming book. After reading this extraordinary, finely wrought, intricately connected collection of ten stories, I wish, from my heart, that she wouldn’t do anything with her time but write more stories, or a novel, or any other work that demonstrates this kind of talent. Second disclosure— as a lifelong upper Midwesterner, who loves every last moment of long dark icy winters, big lake water, quiet towns and quieter forest, I met and fell in love with fellow travelers in Summie’s characters with this region and climate in their DNA. Wisdom brings the knowledge that loss and grief and ghosts are not always dead ends. To Lay to Rest Our Ghosts illuminates the delicate, fraught paths to rest for the human spirit that we all must face. Summie accomplishes this with grace, compassion, beautiful spare writing and exquisitely drawn characters. What a gift!
September 28, 2017
There a lot to love in this collection of short stories by Caitlin Hamilton Summie. Locales vary from NYC to Minnesota, involving characters both young and old and from all stations of life, and I felt completely embedded in each story. Hamilton Summie captures the bliss as well as the sadness of everyday events. I think my favorite story in the collection is "Motherly," which depicts the life of a young woman who chooses a different path for herself, and must come back to her small town to confront the consequences of her choice. A single snowstorm changes her from victim to survivor, restoring her confidence in being a mother and a member of her community. The writing throughout this collection is lyrical, unrushed and natural. I look forward to more from this author!
Get To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts from the Denver Public Library
- Dodie
Get To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts from the Denver Public Library
- Dodie
September 29, 2017
There's a lot to love in this collection of short stories by Caitlin Hamilton Summie. Locales vary from NYC to Minnesota, involving characters both young and old and from all stations of life, and I felt completely embedded in each story. Hamilton Summie captures the bliss as well as the sadness of everyday events. I think my favorite story in the collection is "Motherly," which depicts the life of a young woman who chooses a different path for herself, and must come back to her small town to confront the consequences of her choice. A single snowstorm changes her from victim to survivor, restoring her confidence in being a mother and a member of her community. The writing throughout this collection is lyrical, unrushed and natural. I look forward to more from this author!
December 31, 2019
I won this collection of short stories in a Goodreads Giveaway. I loved the stories but somehow set it down and was slow to pick it back up. What a mistake to put it off. These stories are hauntingly beautiful. They are filled with meaning and intentionality. Perfect for ending the year with. Quality physical book published by a small press. This morning me is worth finding and reading. “Sons” was my favorite short story.
March 22, 2018
This book contains ten very well written short stories. The subject matter is all about family, discovering family, leaving family, returning to family. Brothers, Sisters, Children, Grandparents, Fathers and Sons, Mothers and Daughters trying to hold family together, with varying degrees of success. Daughters pulling away while mothers hold on. Grievances that fester to the point of poisoning relationships. Loving but not really liking your sibling. Husbands who learn about grief that never leaves but learn how to carry it.
In “Tags” our narrator, Dolores, knew her father only by her last name. When all the fathers left for the war the women moved into Grammy’s house in Kansas City. Children remembering Fathers lost in the war, remembering the smell of soap while being hugged, remembering the smell of cigarettes, trying to remember fathers who became “vague and shadowy”, fathers who never returned home.
In “Growing Up Cold” One runs, two stay, one returns, one is lost, how do you say goodbye?
In “Points of Exchange” everything was determined by where you live. If it was by a stop sign in New York City you lived at the point of exchange. Twenty-three-year-old Jenny Nelson needs to leave Minnesota, needs to be something else, somewhere else. It takes a sandal-clad hop-scotch skipping kid to teach her that she will never belong where she has landed, she will never be able to join that community of women. Her community is waiting for her, she just needs to figure it out.
Each story is so poignant in its simplicity and heartbreaking in the telling of family dust-ups, coming together, tearing apart, realizations of what might have come before and what will never be a part of the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Fomite for a copy.
In “Tags” our narrator, Dolores, knew her father only by her last name. When all the fathers left for the war the women moved into Grammy’s house in Kansas City. Children remembering Fathers lost in the war, remembering the smell of soap while being hugged, remembering the smell of cigarettes, trying to remember fathers who became “vague and shadowy”, fathers who never returned home.
In “Growing Up Cold” One runs, two stay, one returns, one is lost, how do you say goodbye?
In “Points of Exchange” everything was determined by where you live. If it was by a stop sign in New York City you lived at the point of exchange. Twenty-three-year-old Jenny Nelson needs to leave Minnesota, needs to be something else, somewhere else. It takes a sandal-clad hop-scotch skipping kid to teach her that she will never belong where she has landed, she will never be able to join that community of women. Her community is waiting for her, she just needs to figure it out.
Each story is so poignant in its simplicity and heartbreaking in the telling of family dust-ups, coming together, tearing apart, realizations of what might have come before and what will never be a part of the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Fomite for a copy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews