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Distant Flickers: Stories of Identity & Loss
~ 8 Accomplished Authors
~ 10 Memorable Stories
~ Compelling Characters at a Crossroads
~ What Choices Will They Make?
The emotive stories in this anthology take readers to the streets of New York and San Francisco, to warm east coast beaches, rural Idaho, and Italy, from the early 1900s, through the 1970s, and into present day.
A sinister woman accustomed to getting everything she wants. A down-on-his luck cook who stumbles on goodness. A young mother who hides $10 she received from a stranger. The boy who collects secrets. A young woman stuck between youth and adulthood. Children who can’t understand why their mother disappears.
The distinct and varied characters in Distant Flickers stand at a juncture. The loss of a spouse, a parent, a child, one’s self. Whether they arrived at this place through self-reflection, unexpected change, or new revelations—each one has a choice to make.
~ 10 Memorable Stories
~ Compelling Characters at a Crossroads
~ What Choices Will They Make?
The emotive stories in this anthology take readers to the streets of New York and San Francisco, to warm east coast beaches, rural Idaho, and Italy, from the early 1900s, through the 1970s, and into present day.
A sinister woman accustomed to getting everything she wants. A down-on-his luck cook who stumbles on goodness. A young mother who hides $10 she received from a stranger. The boy who collects secrets. A young woman stuck between youth and adulthood. Children who can’t understand why their mother disappears.
The distinct and varied characters in Distant Flickers stand at a juncture. The loss of a spouse, a parent, a child, one’s self. Whether they arrived at this place through self-reflection, unexpected change, or new revelations—each one has a choice to make.
150 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2022
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 7, 2022
this was such a great set of stories, I really felt for the characters in this collection. There was no weak story in this and I was invested in each of the stories. I enjoyed the way the authors wrote these and can't wait to read more in this company.
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 9, 2022
Distant Flickers is an excellent collection of short stories united by the common theme of characters who find themselves in a set of specific circumstances that require a decision that will change their lives going forward.
These are short overviews of my favourite three stories in the collection"
Hendrix and Wild Ponies by Donna Koros-Stramella
There is something about this story that really appealed to me. It brought back memories of my own teenage and young adult years when the realities of a future life of work and more serious relationships was just starting to filter through my head that was still filled with girly dreams and high school hopes.
An extract: "Saturday, July 3. The next day, Americans would celebrate the bicentennial. Today we rocked in the waves, laughing as we surfaced from beneath the churning water after mis-judging the sea's timing."
Norfolk, Virginia, 1975 by Elizabeth Gauffreau
Oh, how this story made my heart ache. The depiction of a young girl in her late teens, with a small baby and a selfish husband, really twisted my heart. The girl drove all the way across the country with her nine-month old baby, and when she arrived at the military base where her husband was stationed, no-one could find him. He eventually turned up at midnight, drunk out of his mind, and this starting point set the tone for their relationship going forward. He obviously didn't want the burden of a wife and small boy, who was clearly conceived as a result of both of their naivety, lack of worldliness, and her misguided concept of love at the time. This is a story about revelations and coming to terms with reality. I found it desperately sad, especially as the girl obviously came from a caring home.
An extract: "Everything looked dingy and dirty to her - the street, the store signs, the sky, and especially the bars: the Jolly Roger and the Purple Onion which both had tattooed men wearing faded tee-shirts going in and coming out, now, in the middle of the morning."
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker
For me, this was the only uplifting story in the collection with a happy ending. This comment is not intended to detract from the excellence of the other stories, but they are all rather sad and miserable while this story is different which makes it stand out. The sous chef of a small restaurant befriends an elderly homeless man and gives him a small daily meal. One bitterly cold day, the sous chef invites the man into the kitchen out of the wind. This small act of kindness sets in motion a series of positive changes for the homeless man and the staff and owner of the restaurant.
An extract: "Otto breathed in the aromatic air. It had been long since he enjoyed the wonderful aroma of a good restaurant, and he felt choked with the well-remembered sights and smells."
This is a book that lovers of short stories about people and their lives, lives, and dramas will enjoy.
These are short overviews of my favourite three stories in the collection"
Hendrix and Wild Ponies by Donna Koros-Stramella
There is something about this story that really appealed to me. It brought back memories of my own teenage and young adult years when the realities of a future life of work and more serious relationships was just starting to filter through my head that was still filled with girly dreams and high school hopes.
An extract: "Saturday, July 3. The next day, Americans would celebrate the bicentennial. Today we rocked in the waves, laughing as we surfaced from beneath the churning water after mis-judging the sea's timing."
Norfolk, Virginia, 1975 by Elizabeth Gauffreau
Oh, how this story made my heart ache. The depiction of a young girl in her late teens, with a small baby and a selfish husband, really twisted my heart. The girl drove all the way across the country with her nine-month old baby, and when she arrived at the military base where her husband was stationed, no-one could find him. He eventually turned up at midnight, drunk out of his mind, and this starting point set the tone for their relationship going forward. He obviously didn't want the burden of a wife and small boy, who was clearly conceived as a result of both of their naivety, lack of worldliness, and her misguided concept of love at the time. This is a story about revelations and coming to terms with reality. I found it desperately sad, especially as the girl obviously came from a caring home.
An extract: "Everything looked dingy and dirty to her - the street, the store signs, the sky, and especially the bars: the Jolly Roger and the Purple Onion which both had tattooed men wearing faded tee-shirts going in and coming out, now, in the middle of the morning."
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker
For me, this was the only uplifting story in the collection with a happy ending. This comment is not intended to detract from the excellence of the other stories, but they are all rather sad and miserable while this story is different which makes it stand out. The sous chef of a small restaurant befriends an elderly homeless man and gives him a small daily meal. One bitterly cold day, the sous chef invites the man into the kitchen out of the wind. This small act of kindness sets in motion a series of positive changes for the homeless man and the staff and owner of the restaurant.
An extract: "Otto breathed in the aromatic air. It had been long since he enjoyed the wonderful aroma of a good restaurant, and he felt choked with the well-remembered sights and smells."
This is a book that lovers of short stories about people and their lives, lives, and dramas will enjoy.
January 1, 2023
Distant Flickers is an anthology of ten short stories written by eight different writers. I bought it on the strength of the writing of one of the contributors – Elizabeth Gauffreau – whose writing impressed me in Grief Songs.
All eight authors have written tales that were powerful and moving. The subtitle is Stories of Identity and Loss, and this is something all readers can identify with. In the first one, Hendrix and Wild Ponies, there’s a vivid sense of time and place and I loved the line ‘out of the forest of innocence toward the sharp , craggly peaks of adulthood. This is followed by Where Secrets Go to Hide - an account of the pressure a young boy feels as he accumulates secrets.
The next is by Elizabeth Gauffreau who has contributed two stories. In this first one we follow a young mother whose dreams evaporate in the squalid realities that she faces. This one almost made me weep. Her other contribution, Diary Omissions, has at its core an older woman struggling with severe depression. Gauffreau’s writing conveys such an effective feeling for her characters and ‘…her red wet hands resting on the rim of the sink, tears running down her face’ is an image that spoke volumes to me.
The other tales are excellent, too. There’s the selfish and amoral desperate mother in Coveting; the parent trying to cope with reality in Two Boys, the woman trying to make sense of her life in The Woman in Question; the deception and paranoia in Idaho Dreams; the consequences of the kindness given to a homeless man in A Spoonful of Soup; and the desperate need to cling on to a father in Speed Dial.
At the end of each contribution there are some notes about the author and what inspired the piece. This added an extra and very welcome layer to my understanding of the stories.
A full 5*.
All eight authors have written tales that were powerful and moving. The subtitle is Stories of Identity and Loss, and this is something all readers can identify with. In the first one, Hendrix and Wild Ponies, there’s a vivid sense of time and place and I loved the line ‘out of the forest of innocence toward the sharp , craggly peaks of adulthood. This is followed by Where Secrets Go to Hide - an account of the pressure a young boy feels as he accumulates secrets.
The next is by Elizabeth Gauffreau who has contributed two stories. In this first one we follow a young mother whose dreams evaporate in the squalid realities that she faces. This one almost made me weep. Her other contribution, Diary Omissions, has at its core an older woman struggling with severe depression. Gauffreau’s writing conveys such an effective feeling for her characters and ‘…her red wet hands resting on the rim of the sink, tears running down her face’ is an image that spoke volumes to me.
The other tales are excellent, too. There’s the selfish and amoral desperate mother in Coveting; the parent trying to cope with reality in Two Boys, the woman trying to make sense of her life in The Woman in Question; the deception and paranoia in Idaho Dreams; the consequences of the kindness given to a homeless man in A Spoonful of Soup; and the desperate need to cling on to a father in Speed Dial.
At the end of each contribution there are some notes about the author and what inspired the piece. This added an extra and very welcome layer to my understanding of the stories.
A full 5*.
October 8, 2022
This is a fascinating collection of what I consider to all be five-star stories. They all involve loss and identity but are delightfully varied in plot and location. For those of us who write or try to write, it's a master class in storytelling from eight talented and accomplished authors. I've highlighted a few of my favorites below, but they are all wonderful. At the end of each story is a biography of the author and spotlights of their other written works.
In "Norfolk, Virginia, 1975" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, BethAnn is coming to terms with being a young military wife, trying to scrape by with little pay and realizing things aren't going the way she dreamed. It evoked a lot of feelings in me, as I was also a young military wife. It is a realization that actual love is different than dreams, that marriage can be tough, and that "happily ever after" in a marriage includes hard times and many shades of gray. I am already a fan of Elizabeth Gauffreau, and I highly recommend her book Telling Sonny, set mostly during a Vaudeville tour in the 1920s.
"The Coveting" by Carol LaHines blew me away. It is about a woman who takes what she wants, no matter the cost. Despite the fact that it has an unlikable main character, I found this story riveting. This woman knew exactly who she was, and the loss incurred was always the loss of others. It evoked powerful emotion in me, and although it wasn’t always good emotion, the feelings I came away with were very strong. It was the standout story for me in an amazing collection. This and LaHines' other story in this collection, "Two Boys," are the first works of hers that I've read, but I will definitely seek out her other work.
Idaho Dreams by Joyce Yarrow is a fascinating tale of a woman who begins to realize that the life she is living is quickly turning into something else, something she is not sure she wants. Then she learns that her husband, who has been unexpectedly changing before her eyes, has been keeping a major secret. It is a fascinating tale of preppers in Idaho, but it becomes so much more. In the end, she has to try and separate fact from fiction and make a choice. What would we choose?
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker is such a heartfelt and compelling story. It is about the life of a homeless man and a reminder that anyone can fall into bad circumstances or make mistakes. It is a reminder that the person you pass on the street has had a life full of rich and varied experiences, no matter where they may be now. It is a call to say we all matter, whether we're sitting in a warm house or panhandling on the street. I absolutely loved it, and it warmed my heart more than a cup of soup on a cold day.
Every work in this ten-story collection is expertly written and will stir up emotions and sometimes nostalgia in the reader. I highly recommend everyone read these stories, get to know the authors in their accompanying bios, and check out their other work. It was a rewarding experience for me.
In "Norfolk, Virginia, 1975" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, BethAnn is coming to terms with being a young military wife, trying to scrape by with little pay and realizing things aren't going the way she dreamed. It evoked a lot of feelings in me, as I was also a young military wife. It is a realization that actual love is different than dreams, that marriage can be tough, and that "happily ever after" in a marriage includes hard times and many shades of gray. I am already a fan of Elizabeth Gauffreau, and I highly recommend her book Telling Sonny, set mostly during a Vaudeville tour in the 1920s.
"The Coveting" by Carol LaHines blew me away. It is about a woman who takes what she wants, no matter the cost. Despite the fact that it has an unlikable main character, I found this story riveting. This woman knew exactly who she was, and the loss incurred was always the loss of others. It evoked powerful emotion in me, and although it wasn’t always good emotion, the feelings I came away with were very strong. It was the standout story for me in an amazing collection. This and LaHines' other story in this collection, "Two Boys," are the first works of hers that I've read, but I will definitely seek out her other work.
Idaho Dreams by Joyce Yarrow is a fascinating tale of a woman who begins to realize that the life she is living is quickly turning into something else, something she is not sure she wants. Then she learns that her husband, who has been unexpectedly changing before her eyes, has been keeping a major secret. It is a fascinating tale of preppers in Idaho, but it becomes so much more. In the end, she has to try and separate fact from fiction and make a choice. What would we choose?
A Spoonful of Soup by Rita Baker is such a heartfelt and compelling story. It is about the life of a homeless man and a reminder that anyone can fall into bad circumstances or make mistakes. It is a reminder that the person you pass on the street has had a life full of rich and varied experiences, no matter where they may be now. It is a call to say we all matter, whether we're sitting in a warm house or panhandling on the street. I absolutely loved it, and it warmed my heart more than a cup of soup on a cold day.
Every work in this ten-story collection is expertly written and will stir up emotions and sometimes nostalgia in the reader. I highly recommend everyone read these stories, get to know the authors in their accompanying bios, and check out their other work. It was a rewarding experience for me.
December 27, 2022
It takes courage to tackle the themes of identity and loss, and this group of authors did not shrink from the challenge. Drawing in some cases from their personal lives and at other times entirely from their imagination, the authors explore emotions that ranged from hopelessness to empowerment. The stage for this exploration was, in most of the short stories, the complexities of interpersonal relationships. I was struck by how many stories, all written separately and by authors with distinctly different backgrounds, featured mothers and children as central characters. And small wonder— when it comes to identity and loss, aren’t these two roles in our society among the most vulnerable? In more than one story, the central figure is a woman who, either by choice or bad luck, finds herself under the control of a man whose behavior is unstable and threatening. In a different vein, a mother’s mental illness is seen through the eyes of her daughter. One particularly compelling story imagines a woman waking from a coma after a car accident and forgetting that she went through a horrific divorce from her husband. As she acts like a loving wife toward him from her hospital bed, her children— damaged from the contentious divorce— are aghast and confused. The ethical dilemma the situation presents to the narrator— the ex-husband— is thought-provoking. Another story of particular impact describes a family living as preppers in Idaho, told from the woman’s point of view. She becomes increasingly concerned about her husband’s behavior and his actions to isolate them from the community. The choices she is faced with by the end of the piece leave the reader with a jumble of confused feelings. Like this one, the stories are creative, touching, and well-crafted, and leave lingering questions long after the book is closed.
January 23, 2023
This collection of ten literary short stories has as its theme characters at a crossroads. The characters are of different ages and in a variety of situations, but they have in common the recognition of circumstances that demand significant life choices. Almost all the stories are engaging; I was eager to read on and find out how things unfolded.
I particularly enjoyed the following: "Diary Omissions" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, "Idaho Dreams" by Joyce Yarrow, "The Woman in Question" by Jim Metzner, and "Two Boys" by Carol LaHines.
"Two Boys" shows a woman coping with grief in a matter-of-fact yet touching way. The ending is surprising and hopeful. "Diary Omissions" presents troubling events in a family's life through the points of view of two children, showing how they mature from one incident to the next. The actions and attitudes of the children and their father generate sympathy and admiration, but the mother remains something of a mystery, as indeed she must have been to her family.
"Idaho Dreams" has thriller-like qualities while examining the thought-processes of a woman whose suspicions about her husband are suddenly confirmed. The intriguing ending made me wish the story would continue. "The Woman in Question" begins with a man visiting a woman in hospital as she recovers from a coma. As they converse, details emerge which build up to shocking revelations about their relationship and its possible future.
All eight authors have been published in a variety of literary journals. Some of them have written novels. These stories are fine examples of the craft of literary writing.
I particularly enjoyed the following: "Diary Omissions" by Elizabeth Gauffreau, "Idaho Dreams" by Joyce Yarrow, "The Woman in Question" by Jim Metzner, and "Two Boys" by Carol LaHines.
"Two Boys" shows a woman coping with grief in a matter-of-fact yet touching way. The ending is surprising and hopeful. "Diary Omissions" presents troubling events in a family's life through the points of view of two children, showing how they mature from one incident to the next. The actions and attitudes of the children and their father generate sympathy and admiration, but the mother remains something of a mystery, as indeed she must have been to her family.
"Idaho Dreams" has thriller-like qualities while examining the thought-processes of a woman whose suspicions about her husband are suddenly confirmed. The intriguing ending made me wish the story would continue. "The Woman in Question" begins with a man visiting a woman in hospital as she recovers from a coma. As they converse, details emerge which build up to shocking revelations about their relationship and its possible future.
All eight authors have been published in a variety of literary journals. Some of them have written novels. These stories are fine examples of the craft of literary writing.
January 19, 2023
I recieved an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily so people will know to buy handkerchiefs in addition to this book. Here goes: We don't find ourselves we create ourselves. How do we do this? By the choices we make, by how we respond to the things that happen, by having an awareness of which things are within our control and which are not.
So many of the stories in Distant Flickers are heartbreaking, sad, or soul wrenching. Sometimes that's circumstantial due to some life circumstances not within the characters control. Other times the sadness is due to decisions the characters themselves make about things within their control within the story.
All of the stories are skillfully written. They're a hot knife through the butter of your day straight to the plate of harsh reality. If you choose to read this book you'll have used your money and time well. Just keep a clean handkerchief handy.
So many of the stories in Distant Flickers are heartbreaking, sad, or soul wrenching. Sometimes that's circumstantial due to some life circumstances not within the characters control. Other times the sadness is due to decisions the characters themselves make about things within their control within the story.
All of the stories are skillfully written. They're a hot knife through the butter of your day straight to the plate of harsh reality. If you choose to read this book you'll have used your money and time well. Just keep a clean handkerchief handy.
January 15, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a slim tome of short stories (and one poem) but with plenty of ‘meat’ to it. A strong clue to the subject matter is given by the sub-title, ‘Stories Of Identity And Loss’. Do not expect all to have happy endings but, with most, it is difficult to predict where the author is heading - and the short tales are better for that. Relationships that turn sour, troubled families, grief and loss of life and/or freedom are all explored. It is difficult to pick a favourite but Joyce Yarrow’s story of a family moving from city to countryside and ‘safe house’ is intriguing and Jim Metzner’s interesting take on relationships before/during/after a hospitalisation is very worthy. All in all, a very good read - just wish there had been more stories.
This is a slim tome of short stories (and one poem) but with plenty of ‘meat’ to it. A strong clue to the subject matter is given by the sub-title, ‘Stories Of Identity And Loss’. Do not expect all to have happy endings but, with most, it is difficult to predict where the author is heading - and the short tales are better for that. Relationships that turn sour, troubled families, grief and loss of life and/or freedom are all explored. It is difficult to pick a favourite but Joyce Yarrow’s story of a family moving from city to countryside and ‘safe house’ is intriguing and Jim Metzner’s interesting take on relationships before/during/after a hospitalisation is very worthy. All in all, a very good read - just wish there had been more stories.
February 28, 2023
Do you like short stories?📖
I don’t typically read short stories, many times I am left feeling like I want to know more about what happened before and after the short story.
After reading Distant Flickers: Stories of Identity & Loss, I did feel a little like this. Each author wrote fascinating stories, and I would love to have a part 2.
Two of our favorite authors Keith Madsen and Joyce Yarrow contributed to these short stories. I already knew I would enjoy theirs but was amazed that every single story pulled me in and left me wanting more. The writing is unique, and the stories have an amazing amount of depth.
Whether you like short stories or not, you will absolutely appreciate each one of these!
Thank you @joyceyarrowauthor for this gifted copy!
Distant Flickers is available on our Amazon storefront!🧜🏼♀️🌺
I don’t typically read short stories, many times I am left feeling like I want to know more about what happened before and after the short story.
After reading Distant Flickers: Stories of Identity & Loss, I did feel a little like this. Each author wrote fascinating stories, and I would love to have a part 2.
Two of our favorite authors Keith Madsen and Joyce Yarrow contributed to these short stories. I already knew I would enjoy theirs but was amazed that every single story pulled me in and left me wanting more. The writing is unique, and the stories have an amazing amount of depth.
Whether you like short stories or not, you will absolutely appreciate each one of these!
Thank you @joyceyarrowauthor for this gifted copy!
Distant Flickers is available on our Amazon storefront!🧜🏼♀️🌺
own-unread
December 4, 2022A...variety of approaches to both identity and loss...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews