Sun River

by Ben Nickol

Like the river itself, Ben Nickol's stories wind through some wild and rich country, full of beauty and peril both. Leaving the pretty myths behind, Nickol sets off into the lives of everyday people doing all they can to get by on the edges of wild places. These are stories and lives that will stay with you long after the last page is turned.

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sirens wailed in the distance, and when finally the family looked up from the crumpled figure, and looked into each other's faces, they were, for each other, no more than dim memories of the loved ones they had been.*

This is a fine collection of ten stories. Nickol's characters dwell in desolate places, both physically and mentally. They make bad choices, and pay the consequences. Desperate parents do whatever it takes to provide for their offspring. And, sometimes, they can only stand by, and watch the world around them crumble.

One man leaves his wife and young son to chase a dream from his past.

A divorcing couple briefly reunites for a centenarian's wedding.

And, in my favorite tale, A Kind of Person, an escapade to rescue an old high school pal from her life as a streetwalker turns from comedy to tragedy in seconds.

Nickol is a new one on my radar, but I'll be seeking out his previous books, and eagerly awaiting his next one.


*from Opening Night

[David Abrams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Nickol's "Sun River" is an impressive debut, driven by his earnest concern for his characters and their well-being. It's a good thing, too, because the people in these stories are often on the knife-edge of peril: they're in transition, embarking on journeys, at breaking points, on icy marital roads careening toward divorce. Everywhere you turn in "Sun River," hearts have skidmarks. As a reader, I found myself leaning forward in the seat, peering ahead, pressing down on the accelerator, whisking me through the pages. As the very last line of the very last story tells us, Nickol's unforgettable characters are always "racing ahead of the storm." I loved these stories and their heartbreaking lives.

[Dustin]

Until tonight, I hadn't heard of the author or his book, Sun River, and according to these reviews, it's a promising and STUNNING short story collection, comprised of ten character-driven tales.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...