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A Recycled Marriage
From a mother meeting her son’s killer, to a wife’s despair and desire for revenge when her beloved cat dies, this is a collection of stories about troubled lives. The protagonists struggle to cope in adversity, some finding themselves capable of unexpected courage and resilience, but for others adapting to their difficult circumstances appears impossible.
In the title story, a newly retired husband becomes obsessed with environmental issues, bringing his marriage to crisis point. A teenager struggles to communicate with dramatic consequences in 'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering'. 'Son' explores the dilemma of discovering a family crime, whether to expose it, or conceal the evidence. A middle-aged man falls in love for the first time in 'Catalina', but at what cost?
A finely tuned study of human nature, in which grief, abuse, and disability are explored. Step into the microcosm of another person’s experience, understand their dilemma, ask: how would you cope?
‘A gorgeous collection. The stories are suspenseful and thought-provoking. It is important to recognise the author’s incredible ability to write convincing and authentic characters, putting them in situations that are real and challenging.’ – THE BOOK COMMENTARY
In the title story, a newly retired husband becomes obsessed with environmental issues, bringing his marriage to crisis point. A teenager struggles to communicate with dramatic consequences in 'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering'. 'Son' explores the dilemma of discovering a family crime, whether to expose it, or conceal the evidence. A middle-aged man falls in love for the first time in 'Catalina', but at what cost?
A finely tuned study of human nature, in which grief, abuse, and disability are explored. Step into the microcosm of another person’s experience, understand their dilemma, ask: how would you cope?
‘A gorgeous collection. The stories are suspenseful and thought-provoking. It is important to recognise the author’s incredible ability to write convincing and authentic characters, putting them in situations that are real and challenging.’ – THE BOOK COMMENTARY
- GenresFictionShort Stories
209 pages, Paperback
Published November 15, 2021
3 people are currently reading
2285 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Mairs
2 books43 followersRosemary Mairs lives in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. She studied Psychology at Queen’s University, Belfast. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and won prizes, including a Society of Authors’ award.
Her second short collection is now released: Miss Win: Tales of Intrigue and Deception.
"My favourite author is Alice Munro and this collection is reminiscent of her great work" - Amazon reviewer.
Rosemary's debut collection 'A Recycled Marriage' (Cinnamon Press, 2021) was an Eludia Award Finalist, and includes the semi-autobiographical 'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering', a frank and revealing account of the impact of a speaking impediment on everyday life. It was longlisted for the Bristol Prize (2018).
Praise for ‘A Recycled Marriage’:
"A gorgeous collection. The stories are suspenseful and thought-provoking." THE BOOK COMMENTARY
Her second short collection is now released: Miss Win: Tales of Intrigue and Deception.
"My favourite author is Alice Munro and this collection is reminiscent of her great work" - Amazon reviewer.
Rosemary's debut collection 'A Recycled Marriage' (Cinnamon Press, 2021) was an Eludia Award Finalist, and includes the semi-autobiographical 'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering', a frank and revealing account of the impact of a speaking impediment on everyday life. It was longlisted for the Bristol Prize (2018).
Praise for ‘A Recycled Marriage’:
"A gorgeous collection. The stories are suspenseful and thought-provoking." THE BOOK COMMENTARY
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
April 9, 2022
A Recycled Marriage is a walk on the dark side. In each short story, the reader is dropped into the seemingly everyday life of a new character, only to discover that all is not as it seems there. In most cases, resentments lead to violence, to the point that as I started each new story I was on edge waiting for the explosion to come.
The stories are quite well written (and I always admire a writer capable of writing short prose pieces that are fully shaped) but when read in rapid succession they became acutely painful, my spirit burdened by all the anger and vengefulness. I wished for some break in the mood, a twist for a change toward revelation or grace. Perhaps that’s why “The Message” was my favorite, it had two characters who rose above evil, even though with tragic results.
While watching the news about Ukraine lately, I’ve been thinking about the effects of war on those who survive. Nothing will ever be the same for them—how can they find a path toward keeping bitterness out of their hearts? Many can’t, of course; and the brutalizing effect on their psyches of these experiences, leading perhaps to a more brutalized society, is one of the less often acknowledged costs of war. I mention this because the author of these stories is Irish, and I couldn’t help thinking that the years of violence and festering hatred in Ireland might have colored her worldview, at least when it comes to envisioning the arc of a story.
In any case, these well-told tales painted a world that was deeply troubling to me. I hope this book’s reality is not more real than the milder world I live in.
The stories are quite well written (and I always admire a writer capable of writing short prose pieces that are fully shaped) but when read in rapid succession they became acutely painful, my spirit burdened by all the anger and vengefulness. I wished for some break in the mood, a twist for a change toward revelation or grace. Perhaps that’s why “The Message” was my favorite, it had two characters who rose above evil, even though with tragic results.
While watching the news about Ukraine lately, I’ve been thinking about the effects of war on those who survive. Nothing will ever be the same for them—how can they find a path toward keeping bitterness out of their hearts? Many can’t, of course; and the brutalizing effect on their psyches of these experiences, leading perhaps to a more brutalized society, is one of the less often acknowledged costs of war. I mention this because the author of these stories is Irish, and I couldn’t help thinking that the years of violence and festering hatred in Ireland might have colored her worldview, at least when it comes to envisioning the arc of a story.
In any case, these well-told tales painted a world that was deeply troubling to me. I hope this book’s reality is not more real than the milder world I live in.
January 5, 2022
A Recycled Marriage is a strong debut collection of stories by a promising master of the genre, gathering together short, punchy and visceral episodes of life, as believable as they are shocking. These are tales from the confessional, quickly luring the reader into the narrator's confidence. Peeps through curtains into suburban life that is never as it seems. Mair's stories are wonderfully dark, but retain a very human emotional landscape, posing questions of morality and exploring the violence of relationships and the lengths that people will go to for family, love or revenge. They build an assured sense of foreboding, though the twist in the tale is rarely guessed. A clever collection, to be highly recommended to readers who enjoy the genre.
August 22, 2022
Rosemary Mairs renewed my faith in the power of short stories with her collection: A Recycled Marriage. Every story is beautifully crafted, and when you get the end, there's always a dark surprise. There wasn't a story in this collection that didn't sweep me away. It took me a few weeks to finish the book because the heaviness of each story sat with me for a while before I could move onto the next story. But that only speaks to the power of the writing. Strongly recommend!
November 15, 2022
There is an art to writing a good short story as the limits presented by the form mean that a lot, and I mean a lot, needs to be crammed into a much shorter word count – characterisation, suspense, sense of place. And there is no doubt that Rosemary Mairs is good at this.
I devoured “A Recycled Marriage” in practically one sitting and found much to enjoy in these pages. Personally and generally, I think the short stories that are the best are those that are darker in content, where the intents of the characters are revealed by degrees, the delivery of the twist shocking and unsettling. All of that was present in Mairs’ stories. Like the short story master himself, Roald Dahl, you are led into a world where you sense that all is not right, preparing yourself ultimately to be confronted with this but just not knowing exactly when and what form it will take – a confession, a killing, a submission, a revelation, a confrontation. And we are in the world of ordinary people throughout, living their everyday lives for the most part. Mairs shows us relationships and friendships and also discusses political influences on her characters who have become involved in the sectarian violence which was such a big part of Northern Ireland’s history.
There are some great stories here, my two favourites being “Lilies” and “Unravelling” found towards the end of the collection. Both are confrontational in their subject matter and are really well written. Mairs has a very astute awareness of human behaviour and the way that people think when presented with situations where they are not quite sure what to believe. She also depicts the constraints and nuances of relationships so well, taking us into the minds of her characters and showing love in all its many contorted forms to great effect. Domestic violence, stalking, the need for company at any cost, the knowledge that we never really know the ones we love completely and utterly. Deep stuff and, at times disturbing, mostly because of her depiction of humanity and her ability to present it in such relatable terms.
If you are a fan of the short story form and enjoy fiction that takes you to places inside the human experience which can be uncomfortable but excellently visualised in accessible writing, you should read Mairs’ work.
I devoured “A Recycled Marriage” in practically one sitting and found much to enjoy in these pages. Personally and generally, I think the short stories that are the best are those that are darker in content, where the intents of the characters are revealed by degrees, the delivery of the twist shocking and unsettling. All of that was present in Mairs’ stories. Like the short story master himself, Roald Dahl, you are led into a world where you sense that all is not right, preparing yourself ultimately to be confronted with this but just not knowing exactly when and what form it will take – a confession, a killing, a submission, a revelation, a confrontation. And we are in the world of ordinary people throughout, living their everyday lives for the most part. Mairs shows us relationships and friendships and also discusses political influences on her characters who have become involved in the sectarian violence which was such a big part of Northern Ireland’s history.
There are some great stories here, my two favourites being “Lilies” and “Unravelling” found towards the end of the collection. Both are confrontational in their subject matter and are really well written. Mairs has a very astute awareness of human behaviour and the way that people think when presented with situations where they are not quite sure what to believe. She also depicts the constraints and nuances of relationships so well, taking us into the minds of her characters and showing love in all its many contorted forms to great effect. Domestic violence, stalking, the need for company at any cost, the knowledge that we never really know the ones we love completely and utterly. Deep stuff and, at times disturbing, mostly because of her depiction of humanity and her ability to present it in such relatable terms.
If you are a fan of the short story form and enjoy fiction that takes you to places inside the human experience which can be uncomfortable but excellently visualised in accessible writing, you should read Mairs’ work.
January 28, 2023
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.
This book of short stories deals with many different subjects and situations including depression, stammering, love, loss, and a myriad of other topics. These address many ways different people may come to deal with their grief, pain, depression, loss of love, manipulations, and other situations in which they found themselves to be. I won’t pick out a favorite as there are many of these that I really enjoyed reading and pondering the underlying reasons for the characters’ actions, responses, and thoughts.
Many of these deal with the dark realities of the minds of the characters. As one reads the short stories, one might ponder why the characters think and act as they do. Why do people make the decisions they make? Why do they allow others to manipulate them? How do people deal with rejection? How does trauma have an effect on them? How would I deal with similar situations?
Most of these short stories leave the reader hanging to ponder the conclusions and ultimate outcomes. For instance, what ultimately happened in the “Recycled Marriage” after the ultimatum? As the reader, you may draw your own conclusions. Perhaps these will influence the reader to view others with more compassion and empathy; try to understand what others may be contending with.
There is a hint of Poe in some of these. I would recommend this book.
This book of short stories deals with many different subjects and situations including depression, stammering, love, loss, and a myriad of other topics. These address many ways different people may come to deal with their grief, pain, depression, loss of love, manipulations, and other situations in which they found themselves to be. I won’t pick out a favorite as there are many of these that I really enjoyed reading and pondering the underlying reasons for the characters’ actions, responses, and thoughts.
Many of these deal with the dark realities of the minds of the characters. As one reads the short stories, one might ponder why the characters think and act as they do. Why do people make the decisions they make? Why do they allow others to manipulate them? How do people deal with rejection? How does trauma have an effect on them? How would I deal with similar situations?
Most of these short stories leave the reader hanging to ponder the conclusions and ultimate outcomes. For instance, what ultimately happened in the “Recycled Marriage” after the ultimatum? As the reader, you may draw your own conclusions. Perhaps these will influence the reader to view others with more compassion and empathy; try to understand what others may be contending with.
There is a hint of Poe in some of these. I would recommend this book.
June 13, 2022
I was delighted to be offered this book as an ARC via NetGalley. The short stories in this book are great, certainly not cheery, but like petit fours each is delicious and memorable in it's own way. The protagonists are not necessarily people you want to meet however they are nuanced and I would quite happily read these all over again (and probably will to analyse them for my short story course ;) ).
April 25, 2022
I want to thank the publisher for the ARC of A Recycled Marriage in return for an honest review. In this wonderful, dark and weird collection of stories, author Rosemary Mairs looks at the pathology of people who feel that they have been wronged and need to restore justice to their world. There is a woman who insists on finding her father (the man with mental disabilities who many years ago raped her mother) and forcing him to confront what he has done. There is a young man with a stammer who is impelled to seriously injure the guy who has been bullying him. There are controlling spouses who get it in the end. In some cases the focus is on a character who has been wronged, but who is too twisted in his or her own mind to deal with it. In those cases the story pivots on the sad pathology of a victim in denial ("Lilies" or "Catalina"). However, primarily Mairs explores the strategies of unhealthy individuals who, rather than seeking a reasonable way of putting things to rights instead opt for ugly vengeance, commit atrocious murders and wind up imprisoned. What I appreciated most, I think, is that rather than hit us over the head repeatedly with stories about nut cases seeking to "restore justice" by murdering their victimizers (real or imagined), Mairs sometimes throws in a story in which a more reasonable accommodation occurs. In "Just For a While," for instance, an angry young girl who has been shuffled from one bad foster home to another, decides to try for some trust in her current placement. In "A Recycled Marriage," a woman driven to the end of her tether by her husband's obsession with saving the environment with total disregard for her needs, rethinks her original plan to poison him. There is a variety among the stories that keeps them from being monotonous, and sets up a healthy anticipation for what each new story in the collection will bring. I loved this collection and recommend it highly.
November 19, 2022
Recycled Marriage by Rosemary Mairs is a compilation of short stories revolving around relationships. But if you’re hoping for some happily ever after or comedic relief, you won’t find that here. There’s a bit of a darker side to these stories, some with tragic endings while others a little more shocking.
For the most part, I enjoyed the stories in this book. They are well written and compelling. There were a few however that I found confusing. I felt like pertinent information was left out in some stories in order to make it more mysterious but instead, it made the story unclear. I also think some dialogue tags would have made it easier to follow in a couple of the stories that were dialogue heavy. With that said, this is a good book with lots of interesting tales.
For the most part, I enjoyed the stories in this book. They are well written and compelling. There were a few however that I found confusing. I felt like pertinent information was left out in some stories in order to make it more mysterious but instead, it made the story unclear. I also think some dialogue tags would have made it easier to follow in a couple of the stories that were dialogue heavy. With that said, this is a good book with lots of interesting tales.
August 18, 2022
A Recycled Marriage features a collection of wonderfully crafted tales with characters that are enmeshed in complex situations, each dealing with a conundrum that life throws at them. From a mother meeting her son's killed, to a woman's sense of loss and revenge after the death of her cat, to a retired man addicted to environmental issues to the point of risking his marriage, and more. Themes of love and loss, seeking stability, and strong human connection are beautifully crafted in these tales. The stories with well-developed characters yet they force readers to consider what would happen were they found in the predicament in which the characters find themselves. Rosemary Mairs is a great storyteller who succeeds to captivate fans of short stories with strong plot points, well-written conflicts, and memorable characters.
March 23, 2022
This book is a wonderful collection of short stories about human nature. The stories involve people making decisions at the worst points in their lives. You are always thinking what would I do in these situations. Would I have the strength and resilience to make the right decisions? The stories are all interesting and intriguing. I would definitely like to see more from this author. Any of these stories could be expanded into a novella or novel. A wonderful read that I highly recommend.
Thank you to #goodreads, @RosemaryMairs, and @LeafByLeaf for a copy of this book.
Thank you to #goodreads, @RosemaryMairs, and @LeafByLeaf for a copy of this book.
March 12, 2022
I received a signed copy of this book from the author and I really enjoyed these short stories. They were captivating and intriguing! Definitely looking forward to reading more books from this author!
August 12, 2022
Most short story collections tend to suffer from a distinct unevenness when it comes to the quality of individual tales. In my opinion this viewpoint does not apply in Ms Mairs’ case. I found all of two stories ('To Tell You the Truth' and 'Three Certainties of Love') perhaps not quite up to the author’s high standards, but as for the rest solid plotting and unerring insight combine in stories startling in their variety. She is first and foremost a storyteller with a strong narrative sense and a firm grip on her all-too-human characters. Nothing is predictable or prosaic here which in my opinion marks this volume with a very distinct 'Readable' stamp.
Some of the characters are normal, well-adjusted everyday people, until that unexpected moment when circumstances beyond their control thrust them into those twilight territories where reason is overpowered by the baser instincts. The beguiled gardener in 'Crush', the good Samaritan in 'Catalina' and the cat fancier in 'Vermin' are all superb examples of decent people finding themselves in very dark places. Some of the stories make good use of Northern Ireland’s troubled past as witnessed in 'Lily', 'Basket of Eggs' and 'The Message', while secrets of the past come home to roost in 'Thuds', 'Son' and 'Unravelling'.
As far as I am concerned, the best story here is the disturbing 'What We Need Is…' This is a marvelously disquieting picture of a marriage deteriorating into death and madness; and even though things are slightly off-kilter from the start, I defy any reader to predict where this is going. The ending drives home like the last piece of a particularly eerie jigsaw puzzle being pressed into place.
'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering' is another example of the author’s engaging insight into the psyche of a character. Here the story concerns the young protagonist’s journey to overcome the obstacles his stuttering places in his path. If this short summary sounds like a gloomy mood piece, think again. Ms Mairs (apparently drawing from personal experience) employs a fair degree of wry humour along the way, which adds enormously to the appeal of this story of a young man coming into his own despite a less than favourable hand having been dealt to him.
On the strength of this collection of short stories, I sincerely hope that Ms Mairs is hard at work on a first novel. I for one will be standing in line to take a peek.
I received a review copy from Book.Sirens for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
Some of the characters are normal, well-adjusted everyday people, until that unexpected moment when circumstances beyond their control thrust them into those twilight territories where reason is overpowered by the baser instincts. The beguiled gardener in 'Crush', the good Samaritan in 'Catalina' and the cat fancier in 'Vermin' are all superb examples of decent people finding themselves in very dark places. Some of the stories make good use of Northern Ireland’s troubled past as witnessed in 'Lily', 'Basket of Eggs' and 'The Message', while secrets of the past come home to roost in 'Thuds', 'Son' and 'Unravelling'.
As far as I am concerned, the best story here is the disturbing 'What We Need Is…' This is a marvelously disquieting picture of a marriage deteriorating into death and madness; and even though things are slightly off-kilter from the start, I defy any reader to predict where this is going. The ending drives home like the last piece of a particularly eerie jigsaw puzzle being pressed into place.
'A Beginner’s Guide to Stammering' is another example of the author’s engaging insight into the psyche of a character. Here the story concerns the young protagonist’s journey to overcome the obstacles his stuttering places in his path. If this short summary sounds like a gloomy mood piece, think again. Ms Mairs (apparently drawing from personal experience) employs a fair degree of wry humour along the way, which adds enormously to the appeal of this story of a young man coming into his own despite a less than favourable hand having been dealt to him.
On the strength of this collection of short stories, I sincerely hope that Ms Mairs is hard at work on a first novel. I for one will be standing in line to take a peek.
I received a review copy from Book.Sirens for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
October 31, 2022
Do not be mislead by the title of this book. It is not a self-help manual for rebuilding matrimonial relationships and neither is it a collection of fiction focussing on family feuds, its range is much wider than that. If ‘marriage’ is taken in the more general sense of ‘bonding together’ then the title suits well the fracturing, reappraisal and reassembly of thought that these excellent stories provide.
It is an order of service for those looking to find the richer and poorer, better and worse, sickness and health of some of the truths that are hidden from public witness. Here you will find the heart-tapping, sweetly dark, fault lines where the public and private grate. Here is the collision of the established and the proposed, the guilt of the past and the duty of the present, the labour pains of political affiliation and the mixed blessings of religious ordination. There is deep personal frustration. There is terrible secret angst. There is humour here also, but soothing something sore.
These stories are very well turned out, smartly hiding nothing, and bearing unconventional gifts. They have a familial bond; these tales are bound by the kind of humanity that we might not always admit to having in our hearts, but that we can’t fail to recognise as something to which we are related. Mairs uncovers stains and balms that are equally unexpected with gut-punching wrenches of counter-clockwise twists. There is something undeniably domestic, but unmistakably generic, being re-evaluated here.
So, yes you can find within these pages many types of marriage, and many things shown afresh. As with the best recycling, you can see where the concepts came from, and be very impressed by their repurposing.
It is an order of service for those looking to find the richer and poorer, better and worse, sickness and health of some of the truths that are hidden from public witness. Here you will find the heart-tapping, sweetly dark, fault lines where the public and private grate. Here is the collision of the established and the proposed, the guilt of the past and the duty of the present, the labour pains of political affiliation and the mixed blessings of religious ordination. There is deep personal frustration. There is terrible secret angst. There is humour here also, but soothing something sore.
These stories are very well turned out, smartly hiding nothing, and bearing unconventional gifts. They have a familial bond; these tales are bound by the kind of humanity that we might not always admit to having in our hearts, but that we can’t fail to recognise as something to which we are related. Mairs uncovers stains and balms that are equally unexpected with gut-punching wrenches of counter-clockwise twists. There is something undeniably domestic, but unmistakably generic, being re-evaluated here.
So, yes you can find within these pages many types of marriage, and many things shown afresh. As with the best recycling, you can see where the concepts came from, and be very impressed by their repurposing.
October 7, 2022
Revealing the darker shades of humanity
Short stories with a powerful punch!
Each story is unique, most are laced with a touch of macabre.
Perfect for people who like short snappy stories they can dip in and out of.
These aren’t feel-good stories, they’re reflections on the more sinister side of the human nature.
Totally gripping, well written, fascinating stories.
Short stories with a powerful punch!
Each story is unique, most are laced with a touch of macabre.
Perfect for people who like short snappy stories they can dip in and out of.
These aren’t feel-good stories, they’re reflections on the more sinister side of the human nature.
Totally gripping, well written, fascinating stories.
June 9, 2022
A collection of short stories which usually I do not care for however this book of stories was quite intriguing, I will say the story are a little dark for my taste yet really held my interest! I really did enjoy it so yes; I would recommend it to friends!
Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book
Thank you for allowing me to read and review this book
March 24, 2022
Thank you to all for sending this book to me. Enjoyed the stories. Just for a while was my favorite.
Stacey Bankey
Stacey Bankey
May 16, 2022
Thank you to the author Rosemary Mairs for a review copy of A Recycled Marriage. This is my first read by this author and I was impressed by this short story collection which shows great variety, imagination and flair. I'm not surprised to discover that three of the included stories are award winning. All good but my personal favourites are:
My father's hands
A beginners guide to stammering
A recycled marriage
Son
Red
Basket of Eggs
Vermin
The message
Unravelling
Crush
The Good Neighbour
Highly recommended for those who appreciate fantastic short stories.
My father's hands
A beginners guide to stammering
A recycled marriage
Son
Red
Basket of Eggs
Vermin
The message
Unravelling
Crush
The Good Neighbour
Highly recommended for those who appreciate fantastic short stories.
March 15, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, the stories had a good twist at the end.
I would definitely recommend reading it ...I shall be re-reading it!
I would definitely recommend reading it ...I shall be re-reading it!
May 18, 2022
This collection of short stories leaves many things unresolved, but that is part of their appeal. The writer does a wonderful job changing the voice of the narrator from an elderly man, to a teenage girl, to an adult in their prime. Each story recounts some kind of trauma or hurt that the narrator describes through loss, betrayal, or indifference.
The varied writing styles for each story held a lot of appeal for me, though at times, as a Canadian, it was difficult to determine what was being said unless I read it aloud.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to other collections from the author.
The varied writing styles for each story held a lot of appeal for me, though at times, as a Canadian, it was difficult to determine what was being said unless I read it aloud.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I look forward to other collections from the author.
June 23, 2022
I typically enjoy short story collections very much, but A Recycled Marriage was a bit of a drag. I usually expect the short stories in a collection to be a hit or a miss, but in this case, I ended up skipping a few that were just not interesting enough. Now, the chapters are written well and cover a range of emotional highs and lows, with marriage being a common theme across the board. Some of the tales are devilishly fun and morbid or poignant and thought-provoking. Still, when I look at the entire book, it leaves a lot to be desired.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
October 25, 2022
This is certainly the best book of short stories I have ever read. I would find it hard to say which story I liked best. Some brought me close to tears. All brought me to a halt so that I could ponder over the story again.
I’m not at all surprised that the author has won awards for these thought-provoking tales and it is surprising to find that this is her first book. I feel as though I shall read it again to appreciate her expertise in telling such wonderful short stories. My review doesn’t do this book justice. Strongly recommended.
I’m not at all surprised that the author has won awards for these thought-provoking tales and it is surprising to find that this is her first book. I feel as though I shall read it again to appreciate her expertise in telling such wonderful short stories. My review doesn’t do this book justice. Strongly recommended.
May 22, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I was intrigued by the concept of this book in the form of multiple short stories. I enjoyed how they were all quick to read and easy to get through, making it possible to read 2-3 chapters a night and not feel lost when picking up the book again. I found some stories difficult to understand and with the writing, but my favorite by far was A recycled marriage, A beginners guide to stammering, and To tell you the truth. The stories are not light and address grief, betrayal, and hope. So be warned before you start that not every story will end happily. If you're in search for a medium-paced book that can be read in a few days, this is the one. This book allowed me to view what others would do in difficult and unexpected situations. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and found that I was asking myself questions of what I would do in these scenarios. I do wish I was able to understand the 2-3 stories I couldn't quite grasp.
I was intrigued by the concept of this book in the form of multiple short stories. I enjoyed how they were all quick to read and easy to get through, making it possible to read 2-3 chapters a night and not feel lost when picking up the book again. I found some stories difficult to understand and with the writing, but my favorite by far was A recycled marriage, A beginners guide to stammering, and To tell you the truth. The stories are not light and address grief, betrayal, and hope. So be warned before you start that not every story will end happily. If you're in search for a medium-paced book that can be read in a few days, this is the one. This book allowed me to view what others would do in difficult and unexpected situations. Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and found that I was asking myself questions of what I would do in these scenarios. I do wish I was able to understand the 2-3 stories I couldn't quite grasp.
February 6, 2022
In this debut collection of short stories, Rosemary Mairs’ spare prose and authentic dialogue effectively draws the reader in to vignettes of ordinary lives before revealing with devastating simplicity a detail or thought that shows us we were looking the wrong way and startles us out of our expectation; things are rarely quite what they would at first seem; a story about a pending through road across an ancient family farm becomes a question of what lies beneath, both literally and emotionally. A story of a man deeply concerned about his wife’s health starts to take a queasy turn. Characters struggle with moral and ethical dilemmas, with adversity and mental illness, and with the painful business of living, when dealt a duff card. Much of it relatable, resonant and yet what I found perhaps most affecting of all is Mair’s ability, as it seemed to me, to write without judgement; a rare gift.
January 30, 2022
Excellent book of short stories. Lots of twists and turns!!
July 9, 2025
A Gloomy Little Ray of Sunshine — Short Stories by Rosemary Mairs
If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to read something that makes me feel vaguely haunted about rural life, sectarian violence, and the slow erosion of hope,” then congratulations, this collection is for you. Rosemary Mairs masterfully turns the mundane into the macabre, wrapping everyday moments in layers of grief, repression, and the kind of emotional weight that makes you want to stare blankly out a window for a while.
In 'My Father’s Hands,' we see the world through young Tommy, a farm kid whose life is as cheerful as a wet Tuesday in February. His friend Jimo—who wins the “Mom’s Favorite” trophy—idolizes his soldier father, until a telegram crashes through their innocence like a tank through a flowerbed. When Tommy’s own dad heads off to war, the boy is left to grapple with growing up via lambing season and some suspiciously metaphorical hand development. Spoiler: when your prepubescent hands start looking “manly,” something terrible is almost definitely about to happen.
Then there’s 'Basket of Eggs,' where 88-year-old John Herbert William Patterson (because apparently one name just isn’t enough) gives an interview in a dialect thick enough to require subtitles. He reminisces about his childhood in Ireland with a wistful blend of nostalgia and convenient amnesia. One sister, Elizabeth, has been missing since youth, and while her possible involvement with the IRA hangs heavily over the story, John clings to his alternate reality like it’s the last biscuit in the tin. It’s a poignant reminder that denial isn’t just a river in Egypt—it’s a retirement plan.
In 'The Message,' Father O’Malley gets an envelope containing a bullet, which —shocking absolutely no one — suggests it’s time to stop phoning in his priesthood and actually do something. It turns out that just handing out Hail Marys like Halloween candy doesn’t quite cut it when there’s a sectarian killing spree afoot. But, as we all know, divine intervention has notoriously unreliable scheduling, and the morally upright are rarely the ones getting protected.
Overall, this collection shows Mairs’ impressive range — and by “range,” I mean “ways to make you feel empirically uneasy.” Her stories are deeply human, emotionally resonant, and tinged with that special kind of sadness that only the down-trodden, the Irish and the imprisoned-for-a-crime-he-didn’t-commit seem to do so exquisitely. It’s not light reading, but it’s undeniably impactful. And hey, if nothing else, it’ll make your own family dysfunction look positively adorable by comparison.
February 10, 2025
This is the second of the author’s collections of short stories that I have read, and I enjoyed this one as much as the first.
It is subtitled “Tales of Turmoil and Suspense”, and that’s a good pointer towards what to expect. Many aren’t short crime stories in the traditional sense with a twist on the last page, and some are closer to vignettes or slices-of-life. But they all deal with subject matters and themes that are common to crime fiction: secrets, creepy people (including a lecherous old lady in one story), increasing tension, and deaths. And they deal with them very well. A common motif is a past tragic occurrence that has present-day consequences. The Northern Ireland troubles do come up, but this is mostly a collection of stories about people who happen to live in Northern Ireland. What I most admired was the way in which the author only gradually reveals the truth about what is happening as a story progresses. If we get a hint early on, it may only be subtle and can easily be missed. So in one story, we read about a man who is building a patio for his sick wife – a Brookside fan will immediately have their suspicions as to what may be going on, but will have no idea of exactly what is going to happen to whom (and when and why).
Everyone will have their own favourite stories, but I particularly liked the one about an ex-convict wanting to meet the parents of a young man he had killed. Other favourites were “To Tell You The Truth” (a story of betrayal that makes you want to weep), “Red” (a mother’s tragedy), “Catalina” (there’s no fool like an old fool), “Lilies”, and “The Good Neighbour”. Not every story worked for me. For example, “A Beginner’s Guide To Stammeri …” is clearly a subject close to the author’s own heart, so I feel guilty for saying that it didn’t really grip me. “A Recycled Marriage” has a lovely Roald Dahl-type premise of an elderly lady with an eco-fanatic of a husband, but I didn’t think the ending quite worked. And although “Son” has a marvellously creepy portrayal of two elderly farming brothers, I found the ending a bit flat.
But the beauty of a collection of short stories is that it only needs a few to blow you away to make the book a rewarding experience. If one story doesn’t work for you, there’s another story on the next page. So definitely a book that I would recommend to people who like this sort of thing.
It is subtitled “Tales of Turmoil and Suspense”, and that’s a good pointer towards what to expect. Many aren’t short crime stories in the traditional sense with a twist on the last page, and some are closer to vignettes or slices-of-life. But they all deal with subject matters and themes that are common to crime fiction: secrets, creepy people (including a lecherous old lady in one story), increasing tension, and deaths. And they deal with them very well. A common motif is a past tragic occurrence that has present-day consequences. The Northern Ireland troubles do come up, but this is mostly a collection of stories about people who happen to live in Northern Ireland. What I most admired was the way in which the author only gradually reveals the truth about what is happening as a story progresses. If we get a hint early on, it may only be subtle and can easily be missed. So in one story, we read about a man who is building a patio for his sick wife – a Brookside fan will immediately have their suspicions as to what may be going on, but will have no idea of exactly what is going to happen to whom (and when and why).
Everyone will have their own favourite stories, but I particularly liked the one about an ex-convict wanting to meet the parents of a young man he had killed. Other favourites were “To Tell You The Truth” (a story of betrayal that makes you want to weep), “Red” (a mother’s tragedy), “Catalina” (there’s no fool like an old fool), “Lilies”, and “The Good Neighbour”. Not every story worked for me. For example, “A Beginner’s Guide To Stammeri …” is clearly a subject close to the author’s own heart, so I feel guilty for saying that it didn’t really grip me. “A Recycled Marriage” has a lovely Roald Dahl-type premise of an elderly lady with an eco-fanatic of a husband, but I didn’t think the ending quite worked. And although “Son” has a marvellously creepy portrayal of two elderly farming brothers, I found the ending a bit flat.
But the beauty of a collection of short stories is that it only needs a few to blow you away to make the book a rewarding experience. If one story doesn’t work for you, there’s another story on the next page. So definitely a book that I would recommend to people who like this sort of thing.
March 15, 2025
A dark morsel of Northern Irish suspense
This is an outstanding collection of short stories focusing on the complexities of human relationships. What I loved about it is these are exactly the right length for a short: six to twelve pages: just the right length to read one or two before bed. Rosemary Mairs has created great characters that come to life in just a few hundred words. This is key in a short story as I want to be engaged from the get-go. These are relatable people in emotionally heightened settings, some of which are joyful, others are less... enjoyable.
Everyone relates to stories differently, often spotting things others might overlook. My favourite is ‘Thud’ (in part because of the title). Journalist Emma is investigating alternate lifestyles and chances across two unsophisticated brothers. These men are not at all similar to each other, each having their own peculiar habits and particular “style”. She calls them “Little” and “Lame”. These men have what appears to be a problematic past: perhaps criminal, perhaps just misunderstood. A tense exchange causes things to escalate rapidly, leaving one brother injured and Emma struggling with echoes of her past.
Some of these stories have quite dark themes (the ones I liked the most!), but there are splashes of humour and unexpected moments that are quite delightful. This gives relief from the gloom of the bleaker tales. Yet it’s the first story that sets the tone, perhaps foreshadowing what is to come. In “My Father’s Hands”, Tommy senses that something is deeply amiss as his parents struggle with their daily routines on the farm. A dramatic lambing crisis reflects family turmoil as the world starts to fall apart.
Elsewhere we have grief, love, regret, resiliance: the full gambit of human emotion. Mairs honestly has done a great job with this collection and has quite skillfully produced a fully-rounded plot in each of these 19 shorts. And these are people that we might know: someone struggling with family secrets, someone dealing with bereavement (albeit with a twist!) and the loved one who becomes obsessed with a triviality. My best friend is from Belfast and also went to Queen’s University, so I couldn’t help but hear his voice in many of these tales. I read “Miss Win” last year, and this collection reinforces my view that Mairs has an incredible ability to captivate and surprise in her writing. Bravo!
This is an outstanding collection of short stories focusing on the complexities of human relationships. What I loved about it is these are exactly the right length for a short: six to twelve pages: just the right length to read one or two before bed. Rosemary Mairs has created great characters that come to life in just a few hundred words. This is key in a short story as I want to be engaged from the get-go. These are relatable people in emotionally heightened settings, some of which are joyful, others are less... enjoyable.
Everyone relates to stories differently, often spotting things others might overlook. My favourite is ‘Thud’ (in part because of the title). Journalist Emma is investigating alternate lifestyles and chances across two unsophisticated brothers. These men are not at all similar to each other, each having their own peculiar habits and particular “style”. She calls them “Little” and “Lame”. These men have what appears to be a problematic past: perhaps criminal, perhaps just misunderstood. A tense exchange causes things to escalate rapidly, leaving one brother injured and Emma struggling with echoes of her past.
Some of these stories have quite dark themes (the ones I liked the most!), but there are splashes of humour and unexpected moments that are quite delightful. This gives relief from the gloom of the bleaker tales. Yet it’s the first story that sets the tone, perhaps foreshadowing what is to come. In “My Father’s Hands”, Tommy senses that something is deeply amiss as his parents struggle with their daily routines on the farm. A dramatic lambing crisis reflects family turmoil as the world starts to fall apart.
Elsewhere we have grief, love, regret, resiliance: the full gambit of human emotion. Mairs honestly has done a great job with this collection and has quite skillfully produced a fully-rounded plot in each of these 19 shorts. And these are people that we might know: someone struggling with family secrets, someone dealing with bereavement (albeit with a twist!) and the loved one who becomes obsessed with a triviality. My best friend is from Belfast and also went to Queen’s University, so I couldn’t help but hear his voice in many of these tales. I read “Miss Win” last year, and this collection reinforces my view that Mairs has an incredible ability to captivate and surprise in her writing. Bravo!
January 12, 2023
A Recycled Marriage is a collection of short stories by Rosemary Mairs. The work spans across many years and various settings and explores the ways in which characters react when they’re faced with adversity. Mairs’s characters have hardships which include meeting their son’s murderer, delivering a lamb, seeking revenge, and coming to terms with a psychotic breakdown after a spouse’s death. The author presents stories showing how problems can infect the lives of anyone, giving rise to difficulties that may seem unmanageable.
The ability to cope with complexities within relationships is the central theme in Rosemary Mairs’s book. The story from the title will pull you in with the first sentence, as many of the stories in the book do, and keeping you reading until the end. The author has a way of coming up with twists and turns that will leave her readers guessing, and Mairs’s dialog is laced with the dialect of her settings and the time about which she writes. Readers will easily digest her conversational storytelling, and they will be enthralled with her ability to weave the words into a sometimes-shocking conclusion. Some individuals may also see a bit of themselves in Mairs’s characters as they read about the changes that require the protagonists to cope with their situations. Rosemary Mairs has studied psychology, and it’s easy to see the psychological elements in the author’s stories. Readers who enjoy twists and surprise endings will like A Recycled Marriage, and the book would be a wonderful addition to any library or personal bookshelf.
The ability to cope with complexities within relationships is the central theme in Rosemary Mairs’s book. The story from the title will pull you in with the first sentence, as many of the stories in the book do, and keeping you reading until the end. The author has a way of coming up with twists and turns that will leave her readers guessing, and Mairs’s dialog is laced with the dialect of her settings and the time about which she writes. Readers will easily digest her conversational storytelling, and they will be enthralled with her ability to weave the words into a sometimes-shocking conclusion. Some individuals may also see a bit of themselves in Mairs’s characters as they read about the changes that require the protagonists to cope with their situations. Rosemary Mairs has studied psychology, and it’s easy to see the psychological elements in the author’s stories. Readers who enjoy twists and surprise endings will like A Recycled Marriage, and the book would be a wonderful addition to any library or personal bookshelf.
February 16, 2025
Rosemary Mairs once again proves her storytelling prowess with A Recycled Marriage, a compelling collection of short stories that delve into the intricate complexities of human relationships.
Having previously enjoyed Miss Win: Tales of Intrigue and Deception, I was eager to explore this new offering and was not disappointed.
Each story is a finely crafted vignette of ordinary lives with themes of loss, revenge, justice, and blurred moral lines, only for Mairs to unleash twists that shatter expectations.
Her prose is spare yet evocative, and her dialogue feels so authentic that I was absorbed in the lives of her characters.
Mairs's ability to explore emotional and moral dilemmas is second to none. From a mother meeting the person responsible for her son’s death to a retired husband so obsessed with environmental activism that his marriage teeters on the brink, each tale forces you to consider the depths of human resilience, frailty, and choice.
Mairs writes with empathy and insight, presenting flawed yet deeply relatable characters as she matches humor with poignancy. Each piece pulls its emotional weight.
Her understated yet powerful narrative style left me contemplating the echoes of her stories long after the last page. My favorite story was Unravelling, but I truly enjoyed all of them simply because Mairs writes so well.
For fans of literary short fiction, A Recycled Marriage is a thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling, but always beautifully told must-read!
Having previously enjoyed Miss Win: Tales of Intrigue and Deception, I was eager to explore this new offering and was not disappointed.
Each story is a finely crafted vignette of ordinary lives with themes of loss, revenge, justice, and blurred moral lines, only for Mairs to unleash twists that shatter expectations.
Her prose is spare yet evocative, and her dialogue feels so authentic that I was absorbed in the lives of her characters.
Mairs's ability to explore emotional and moral dilemmas is second to none. From a mother meeting the person responsible for her son’s death to a retired husband so obsessed with environmental activism that his marriage teeters on the brink, each tale forces you to consider the depths of human resilience, frailty, and choice.
Mairs writes with empathy and insight, presenting flawed yet deeply relatable characters as she matches humor with poignancy. Each piece pulls its emotional weight.
Her understated yet powerful narrative style left me contemplating the echoes of her stories long after the last page. My favorite story was Unravelling, but I truly enjoyed all of them simply because Mairs writes so well.
For fans of literary short fiction, A Recycled Marriage is a thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling, but always beautifully told must-read!
May 7, 2025
I enjoyed Rosemary Mairs’ Miss Win: Tales of Intrigue and Deception, so was keen to read her first short story collection, A Recycled Marriage. Each of the nineteen stories deals with some heavy topics, from domestic violence to cheating spouses to the violence in Northern Ireland. Within each story, there’s a sense of unease right from the start as you wait for the other shoe to drop. Some of the twists I managed to guess, but for the most part, I didn’t see the ending coming.
Mairs is excellent at writing different voices for each of her protagonists, so no two stories have quite the same tone. Stories are told both in first and third person, with some in letter and interview format. Despite their brevity, while some things are left to the imagination, there are no loose ends. Although I would have liked to see a little more of the end of some – for instance, Unraveling, to ensure Clara woke fully and was able to get justice – this probably would have been unnecessary, and quite possibly would have spoiled what made the story so effective.
Although the dark themes and misery are unrelenting, I continued eagerly reading, usually finishing several stories in one go. I’m very impressed with what Mairs can do with just a few pages – the first story, My Father’s Hands, had me tearing up at the end, showing how it’s often the things left unsaid that can have the most profound effect.
Mairs is excellent at writing different voices for each of her protagonists, so no two stories have quite the same tone. Stories are told both in first and third person, with some in letter and interview format. Despite their brevity, while some things are left to the imagination, there are no loose ends. Although I would have liked to see a little more of the end of some – for instance, Unraveling, to ensure Clara woke fully and was able to get justice – this probably would have been unnecessary, and quite possibly would have spoiled what made the story so effective.
Although the dark themes and misery are unrelenting, I continued eagerly reading, usually finishing several stories in one go. I’m very impressed with what Mairs can do with just a few pages – the first story, My Father’s Hands, had me tearing up at the end, showing how it’s often the things left unsaid that can have the most profound effect.
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