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All's Fair and Other California Stories
In present-day Southern California, a diverse group of characters seeks the fulfillment and connection this sunny state has always promised. They come with hopes for a better lifestyle, for a change of perspective, or for the dry, mild West Coast weather.
A couple moves to Palm Desert from New York for the arid, warm climate a doctor prescribes and they manage both illness and homesickness. The woman makes an unlikely friend in a young albino boy who teaches her a harsh lesson about the margin for cruelty that resides in us all. A young Mexican woman migrates to California and marries an American man—only to be deserted. A young man is disqualified from the Naval Aeronautical program and returns to his sister’s home, where he struggles with his identity and sexuality. After years of estrangement, a teenage girl travels to California from New York to spend the summer with her father.
This collection contains several “snapshot” stories—poetic pauses—that blend a set of images into an artistic visual unit, much like a brief cinematic experience. Every character in this collection is distinct from the next, but all of their stories unfold under the glare of the same Southern California sun—a western desert light so clear and unfiltered that it reveals everything.
A couple moves to Palm Desert from New York for the arid, warm climate a doctor prescribes and they manage both illness and homesickness. The woman makes an unlikely friend in a young albino boy who teaches her a harsh lesson about the margin for cruelty that resides in us all. A young Mexican woman migrates to California and marries an American man—only to be deserted. A young man is disqualified from the Naval Aeronautical program and returns to his sister’s home, where he struggles with his identity and sexuality. After years of estrangement, a teenage girl travels to California from New York to spend the summer with her father.
This collection contains several “snapshot” stories—poetic pauses—that blend a set of images into an artistic visual unit, much like a brief cinematic experience. Every character in this collection is distinct from the next, but all of their stories unfold under the glare of the same Southern California sun—a western desert light so clear and unfiltered that it reveals everything.
160 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2021
5 people are currently reading
4084 people want to read
About the author
Linda Feyder
3 books43 followersLinda Feyder is a practicing psychotherapist in New York. In addition, she received her MA in creative writing and literature from the University of Houston and has been writing fiction for many years. Born in California, her interest in the state and the people it attracts are the subjects of her debut collection of stories. Her love for human narrative is the drive behind both professions.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 18, 2021
Genre: Literary Short Stories
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pub Date: Sep. 28, 2021
Mini-Review
After finishing this short story collection, I was not surprised to learn that it is a finalist for the 2021American Short Story Award. However, I almost did not accept this book because I did not recognize the publisher, She Writes Press. I assumed the book was self-published or a vanity press. I discovered that it is neither. Rather a hybrid model, for women writers, published these shorts. The most notable difference from self-publishing is that this model has traditional distribution and manuscript vetting. After reading a few pages of the first short, I knew off the bat that I was reading a literary, well-written and, interesting collection.
In these slice-of-life stories, a varied cast of characters in modern-day Southern California seeks the fulfillment of a better life that the Golden State has always promised. Some of the characters move to the state for a change of mindset that comes with sunshine, or for health reasons that the dry, mild West Coast weather provides. Many stories are only a few pages. Yet the author’s concise narrations make these brief yet telling stories feel longer. I have learned that Feyder received an MA in creative writing and literature. In addition to writing, she is a practicing psychotherapist, which explains why her characters all seem to be on an inner journey throughout each short. I like some better than others, but overall I am impressed with the collection.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
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https://www.amazon.com/
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pub Date: Sep. 28, 2021
Mini-Review
After finishing this short story collection, I was not surprised to learn that it is a finalist for the 2021American Short Story Award. However, I almost did not accept this book because I did not recognize the publisher, She Writes Press. I assumed the book was self-published or a vanity press. I discovered that it is neither. Rather a hybrid model, for women writers, published these shorts. The most notable difference from self-publishing is that this model has traditional distribution and manuscript vetting. After reading a few pages of the first short, I knew off the bat that I was reading a literary, well-written and, interesting collection.
In these slice-of-life stories, a varied cast of characters in modern-day Southern California seeks the fulfillment of a better life that the Golden State has always promised. Some of the characters move to the state for a change of mindset that comes with sunshine, or for health reasons that the dry, mild West Coast weather provides. Many stories are only a few pages. Yet the author’s concise narrations make these brief yet telling stories feel longer. I have learned that Feyder received an MA in creative writing and literature. In addition to writing, she is a practicing psychotherapist, which explains why her characters all seem to be on an inner journey throughout each short. I like some better than others, but overall I am impressed with the collection.
I received this Advance Review Copy (ARC) novel from the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Find all my book reviews at:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list…
https://books6259.wordpress.com/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review…
https://www.facebook.com/martie.neesr…
https://twitter.com/NeesRecord\
https://www.instagram.com/martie6947/
https://www.amazon.com/
November 20, 2021
Linda Feyder’s characters in her short story collection “All’s Fair” experience California from all different angles. In the title story a transplant from Manhattan tries to get used to “seeing cactus in a garden…ugly,prickly things that belonged in a desert. Then, she reminded herself, she now lived in the desert.” In other stories we see the golden state from the eyes of new residents,visitors, immigrants and life long residents. I admired the omniscient point of view, the attention to details of place and the often noir quality. A strong debut.
January 6, 2022
All's Fair and Other California Stories by Linda Feyder is a collection of thirteen short stories connected by their California settings. The stories are also connected by the point at which the author drops us into her characters' lives. As with most resonant short stories—those that allow us to step into worlds other than our own, and that create the sense of fully-fleshed lives that continue in our minds beyond the closing paragraph—these stories present their characters at key moments of change, crisis, or the dawning awareness that this is all there will be. The endings are subtle and evocative; the reader is left with curiosity, questions, and a tendency to speculate, and care, about what will happen next.
Feyder’s stories introduce the reader to a diverse set of characters and backgrounds. A number of the stories involve characters who have recently arrived in, or returned to, California: an older couple who move to the desert from New York for health reasons; a Mexican woman who migrates to California in hopes of finding greater opportunities; a girl traveling to California to spend time with her estranged father; a young man who grapples with his sexuality when he returns to his California home after a professional setback.
The prose is fluid and inviting, with a range of points of view from first person to third, and with protagonists of varying ages and genders. At times the author brings us very close to her characters’ thoughts and experiences, and at other times we obtain a wider, more omniscient view. This variety is one of the collections strengths.
In the titular story, “All’s Fair,” Joyce, an older woman caring for her ailing husband, experiences the isolation of the caregiving role, and of life in a new and alien environment (from the bustle of Manhattan to a Palm Desert condominium community). A quirky, twelve-year-old albino becomes an unlikely companion. The boy seeks her out to share his “finds,” including a restored Studebaker, two crickets mating, a tenant’s bra transformed into a ping-pong table net. She follows him, rationalizing, “She should indulge his wishes because life had dealt him a pitiless blow, one colorless and pale, and she had seen it reduce her husband too, reducing him to a bedridden tyrant.” While we are privy to her thoughts, we don’t entirely believe her, for it also seems that she follows this boy for other reasons—loneliness, to enjoy a moment’s distraction, as an escape from the confines of her new normal.
In “Joint Custody,” the longest, and arguably most complex story in the collection, the point of view shifts between several characters, bringing us different slants on a complicated child custody arrangement. We have Ann, the mother, raising her daughter Emily on her own in New York; a family friend who delivers Emily to the girl’s father in Southern California when Ann leaves for a business trip to London; Emily herself, a teenager who scarcely remembers living with her father; and, the father, a bohemian-type who has had minimal contact with his only child and who now has a new, very young, girlfriend. Layering these distinct vantage points reveals the confusing, awkward, and potentially damaging consequences divorce and its aftermath hold for Emily.
In addition to being a skilled storyteller, Linda Feyder is a practicing psychotherapist in New York City. From the thirteen compelling, thought-provoking stories in All’s Fair, it is evident that her observational skills and empathy for the human condition serve her well in both capacities. The situations and scenarios she brings to life on the page will be resonant and relatable for many.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Dorothy Rice for this review.
Feyder’s stories introduce the reader to a diverse set of characters and backgrounds. A number of the stories involve characters who have recently arrived in, or returned to, California: an older couple who move to the desert from New York for health reasons; a Mexican woman who migrates to California in hopes of finding greater opportunities; a girl traveling to California to spend time with her estranged father; a young man who grapples with his sexuality when he returns to his California home after a professional setback.
The prose is fluid and inviting, with a range of points of view from first person to third, and with protagonists of varying ages and genders. At times the author brings us very close to her characters’ thoughts and experiences, and at other times we obtain a wider, more omniscient view. This variety is one of the collections strengths.
In the titular story, “All’s Fair,” Joyce, an older woman caring for her ailing husband, experiences the isolation of the caregiving role, and of life in a new and alien environment (from the bustle of Manhattan to a Palm Desert condominium community). A quirky, twelve-year-old albino becomes an unlikely companion. The boy seeks her out to share his “finds,” including a restored Studebaker, two crickets mating, a tenant’s bra transformed into a ping-pong table net. She follows him, rationalizing, “She should indulge his wishes because life had dealt him a pitiless blow, one colorless and pale, and she had seen it reduce her husband too, reducing him to a bedridden tyrant.” While we are privy to her thoughts, we don’t entirely believe her, for it also seems that she follows this boy for other reasons—loneliness, to enjoy a moment’s distraction, as an escape from the confines of her new normal.
In “Joint Custody,” the longest, and arguably most complex story in the collection, the point of view shifts between several characters, bringing us different slants on a complicated child custody arrangement. We have Ann, the mother, raising her daughter Emily on her own in New York; a family friend who delivers Emily to the girl’s father in Southern California when Ann leaves for a business trip to London; Emily herself, a teenager who scarcely remembers living with her father; and, the father, a bohemian-type who has had minimal contact with his only child and who now has a new, very young, girlfriend. Layering these distinct vantage points reveals the confusing, awkward, and potentially damaging consequences divorce and its aftermath hold for Emily.
In addition to being a skilled storyteller, Linda Feyder is a practicing psychotherapist in New York City. From the thirteen compelling, thought-provoking stories in All’s Fair, it is evident that her observational skills and empathy for the human condition serve her well in both capacities. The situations and scenarios she brings to life on the page will be resonant and relatable for many.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Dorothy Rice for this review.
July 14, 2022
When we think of California we often think of beaches, surfing, and getting a tan. Or maybe we think of show business, Hollywood, and glamour. Perhaps we think of the Real Housewives of both the OC and of Beverly Hills. And we can’t forget the California of Silicon Valley or the cable cars of San Francisco.
California is a place to escape for many people, but it isn’t always a place where one finds fame and riches. And these tales are told in Linda Feyder’s book All’s Fair: And Other California Stories.
A majority of characters in All’s Fair are not California natives. They are transplants from places like Mexico and New York. They all seeks lives they believe are promised by California. But are they achieving their dreams or are their lives just like the ones they le
All’s Fair begins with a story of the same name. A woman named Joyce has just moved to California with her husband Louis. She hopes the dry desert air will help him with his health issues. While attending to her husband she befriends a young albino boy named Brian. It is through Brian she learns more about bigotry and the hate some people receive just for being different.
In the tale “Joint Custody,” a young girl named Emily is spending the summer with her father in a small California town while her mother is doing business overseas. A New York City kid, Emily not only has to deal with a place so different from home, she also has to come to terms with her father dating a much younger woman.
In “Robbie Released,” Isabel is on pins and needles. Her loser brother, Robbie, has been released from prison. Isabel anxiously awaits his return. Will Robbie figure out that Isabel turned him in? And what will happen if he does know of Isabel’s “betrayal?”
In the story “Blind Date,” a man spends an awkward evening with a young woman while pining for two women from his past. He seems to be more into these long-gone ladies than he is with the woman sitting across from him.
All’s Fair isn’t a book filled with a lot of action. Instead, these are mostly stories of reflection in a singular moment in the characters’ lives. Many of them are looking inward, looking back and asking, “What if?” and “What does life have in store for me?” They may not be the glamorous stars of mythical Hollywood, but they are very real. All of the characters are in search of something. If you’re looking for a book with a lot of introspection, you just might like All’s Fair: And Other California Stories.
Originally published at The Book Self
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
California is a place to escape for many people, but it isn’t always a place where one finds fame and riches. And these tales are told in Linda Feyder’s book All’s Fair: And Other California Stories.
A majority of characters in All’s Fair are not California natives. They are transplants from places like Mexico and New York. They all seeks lives they believe are promised by California. But are they achieving their dreams or are their lives just like the ones they le
All’s Fair begins with a story of the same name. A woman named Joyce has just moved to California with her husband Louis. She hopes the dry desert air will help him with his health issues. While attending to her husband she befriends a young albino boy named Brian. It is through Brian she learns more about bigotry and the hate some people receive just for being different.
In the tale “Joint Custody,” a young girl named Emily is spending the summer with her father in a small California town while her mother is doing business overseas. A New York City kid, Emily not only has to deal with a place so different from home, she also has to come to terms with her father dating a much younger woman.
In “Robbie Released,” Isabel is on pins and needles. Her loser brother, Robbie, has been released from prison. Isabel anxiously awaits his return. Will Robbie figure out that Isabel turned him in? And what will happen if he does know of Isabel’s “betrayal?”
In the story “Blind Date,” a man spends an awkward evening with a young woman while pining for two women from his past. He seems to be more into these long-gone ladies than he is with the woman sitting across from him.
All’s Fair isn’t a book filled with a lot of action. Instead, these are mostly stories of reflection in a singular moment in the characters’ lives. Many of them are looking inward, looking back and asking, “What if?” and “What does life have in store for me?” They may not be the glamorous stars of mythical Hollywood, but they are very real. All of the characters are in search of something. If you’re looking for a book with a lot of introspection, you just might like All’s Fair: And Other California Stories.
Originally published at The Book Self
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
September 16, 2021
e-ARC given by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All's Fair and Other California Stories publishes on September 28th.
All's Fair and Other California Stories is a collection of short stories by Linda Feyder. I was interested in this book because I recently moved from California and work in healthcare so thought it would be interesting to read a book by a psychotherapist.
Overall the short stories were easy to read. I loved some of the imagery that was set for Southern California. My biggest complaint is that for most of the short stories I really wasn't sure what the point was supposed to be. There were a few stories that stood out to me, especially the ones that dive into family dynamics but overall I guess I expected there to be more cohesiveness of the stories as well as a stronger portrayal of the themes. But maybe that is a reflection of this genre? Perhaps you are supposed to come to your own conclusions and interpretations.
This may be a fun book for you if you are into California and introspective contemporary fiction with a diverse cast of characters in short stories!
All's Fair and Other California Stories is a collection of short stories by Linda Feyder. I was interested in this book because I recently moved from California and work in healthcare so thought it would be interesting to read a book by a psychotherapist.
Overall the short stories were easy to read. I loved some of the imagery that was set for Southern California. My biggest complaint is that for most of the short stories I really wasn't sure what the point was supposed to be. There were a few stories that stood out to me, especially the ones that dive into family dynamics but overall I guess I expected there to be more cohesiveness of the stories as well as a stronger portrayal of the themes. But maybe that is a reflection of this genre? Perhaps you are supposed to come to your own conclusions and interpretations.
This may be a fun book for you if you are into California and introspective contemporary fiction with a diverse cast of characters in short stories!
September 28, 2021
This collection of short stories is insightful, captivating and provide a 'slice of life' at the exact moment in time. Linda Feyder is a dynamic writer, showing range from the mundane to exploring episodes of violence. While I enjoyed each story, I often found myself longing for more - as if these short stories were almost TOO short. I could have used more story development, more plot, more character building, just more - it didn't feel like I sat with each story long enough and often felt like I didn't circle around on a resolution or be left to dream about what would come next for a specific plot.
If you truly love short stories - this is a great addition to your to be read pile, however, if you are looking for something more fully formed - maybe pass on this one.
Thanks to Net Galley, Linda Feyder and She Writes Press for the ARC in exhange for my honest review.
If you truly love short stories - this is a great addition to your to be read pile, however, if you are looking for something more fully formed - maybe pass on this one.
Thanks to Net Galley, Linda Feyder and She Writes Press for the ARC in exhange for my honest review.
October 15, 2021
Unlike so many readers, I generally adore short story collections. This particular collection is made up of quick dives into a variety of disparate stories, the lives of people finding their way in California. California is an ever-present, sometimes welcome, sometimes ominous backdrop.
I do wish the stories had been a bit longer and had more of a narrative thread running throughout. The stories feel too short and abrupt, and thematically underdeveloped. If you are a reader who enjoys short stories on the short side, this may work for you, especially if you’re looking for a strong sense of place.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I do wish the stories had been a bit longer and had more of a narrative thread running throughout. The stories feel too short and abrupt, and thematically underdeveloped. If you are a reader who enjoys short stories on the short side, this may work for you, especially if you’re looking for a strong sense of place.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2023
I read this book in short order since I love short stories and have published a book of my own. Perhaps was drawn to this because I lived many years in California.
The author writes very well and should continue to do so however many of the stories left me empty because of the subject matter, not the actual grammar or writing skills. Of that she was talented. A few of the stories were very good like Grace from the viewpoint of a teen. My overall assessment was that the tempo didn't get my attention. I would hope the author tries an anthology next--a theme that connects or characters that connect like Strout did with Olive Kitteridge.
The author writes very well and should continue to do so however many of the stories left me empty because of the subject matter, not the actual grammar or writing skills. Of that she was talented. A few of the stories were very good like Grace from the viewpoint of a teen. My overall assessment was that the tempo didn't get my attention. I would hope the author tries an anthology next--a theme that connects or characters that connect like Strout did with Olive Kitteridge.
September 16, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook copy in exchange for my review. I’m not naturally drawn to short stories, as a rule, but I have a fascination for California and thought the book sounded interesting. While the characters and settings were wonderfully described, the stories were so short that I found myself disappointed, wanting to know what happened afterward. That’s a problem I find with many short story compilations - I’m always left feeling like the plot is unresolved. If you’re a fan of the short story format, this would be a good selection.
May 13, 2022
Happy Friday from sunny California! ☀️
I have lived in California my whole life. ( all 21 years 😉) and I always love reading books that are set in my home state.
All’s fair and other California stories is full of 13 short stories of peoples experiences in the Golden State. I really enjoyed reading about cities I’ve been to, a few I’d like to visit again, and seeing my state through other peoples eyes. Short stories can be great for readers who need something small to fill in between books, or new readers who are intimated by lengthly books.
I have lived in California my whole life. ( all 21 years 😉) and I always love reading books that are set in my home state.
All’s fair and other California stories is full of 13 short stories of peoples experiences in the Golden State. I really enjoyed reading about cities I’ve been to, a few I’d like to visit again, and seeing my state through other peoples eyes. Short stories can be great for readers who need something small to fill in between books, or new readers who are intimated by lengthly books.
September 11, 2022
This book consists of a collection of thirteen short stories all set in or connected to California. The writing is well done; a splendid cocktail of descriptive, yet simplistic text. The stories are very short, which I appreciate as I struggle to emerge from a period of literary stagnation. Despite the brevity of the stories, the reader is able to glean intimacy from the characters. Yet, not all is revealed at the end if each story, which I found intriguing. It was an enjoyable read, just what I was looking for!
June 17, 2023
I had major hopes for this book, as I am a lover of short stories and have the experience myself of being a California transplant in New York. Yet, I was dissapointed that there was no finality to any of the individual stories told from varying perspectives, and no overlaid connection between them. Also, I didn’t enjoy the descriptive nature of the writing. I would have rather heard more of the characters inner thoughts than their surroundings. I really enjoyed 2 of the stories and felt the breadth of their message, hence the two stars, but other than that this book felt empty.
March 21, 2022
Linda Feyder’s short stories have a melody to them that is mesmerizing. At times I found myself reading the words without paying close attention to the details but I somehow gathered them all up at the end of each story anyway. The reader is gifted with gently delivered inside information about California’s history without realizing it. The story of the immigrants, the land, and the struggles are all there. Great storytelling!
October 24, 2021
All's Fair is a vibrant short story collection. Linda Feyder is a wonderful storyteller who uses indelible imagery and straightforward language. As a psychotherpist and a writer, Feyder knows how to hits some powerful emotional beats. Great read.
July 28, 2021
A beautiful collection of short stories written by someone who intimately understands the human character.
May 30, 2022
A collection of short stories all set in California. Interesting collection and some of the short stories would make a great novel. Enjoyable reading. I won this book from Bookreporter.com.
January 27, 2024
Some of the stories in this short novel are very interesting and keep you Invested while others are bland and have no sustenance. I will say that most were good throughout.
July 10, 2024
While the stories are engaging and interconnected, too many just…end. In an effort to leave something for the other stories, the author ended some too abruptly.
July 7, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of ALL’S FAIR AND OTHER CALIFORNIA STORIES by Linda Feyder as part of a TLC Book Tours scheduled tour. Thank you to the author abnd She Writes Press!
ALL’S FAIR AND OTHER CALIFORNIA STORIES is a collection of stories set in present day California. There is a lot of variety in the stories, both in length and in diverse characters. You’ve got very short moment in time stories and ones which are a bit longer with more detail on relationships and characters. Each is set in different areas of southern California, showing off the diversity of settings within a relatively small geographic area.
This was a fun collection to read throughout the past month (and to take along to a local botanic garden to snap a pic with the very appropriate California state flowers, the California poppy). Setting is such an important element in many of these stories and the author really brings them to life with her descriptions. Many of these settings were instantly familiar from the snapshot story set on the west coast with the pier, to the orange groves and some of the more arid desert settings. The stories also cover a whole range of characters of different ages, personalities, sexualities, and struggles.
This is a fantastic collection of stories – a bit of a staycation to read as a California local!
ALL’S FAIR AND OTHER CALIFORNIA STORIES is a collection of stories set in present day California. There is a lot of variety in the stories, both in length and in diverse characters. You’ve got very short moment in time stories and ones which are a bit longer with more detail on relationships and characters. Each is set in different areas of southern California, showing off the diversity of settings within a relatively small geographic area.
This was a fun collection to read throughout the past month (and to take along to a local botanic garden to snap a pic with the very appropriate California state flowers, the California poppy). Setting is such an important element in many of these stories and the author really brings them to life with her descriptions. Many of these settings were instantly familiar from the snapshot story set on the west coast with the pier, to the orange groves and some of the more arid desert settings. The stories also cover a whole range of characters of different ages, personalities, sexualities, and struggles.
This is a fantastic collection of stories – a bit of a staycation to read as a California local!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews