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The Beggar's Garden
Brilliantly sure-footed, strikingly original, tender and funny, this memorable collection of nine linked stories follows a diverse group of curiously interrelated characters— from bank manager to crackhead to retired Samaritan to mental patient to web designer to car thief — as they drift through each other’s lives like ghosts in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside.
These darkly comic and intoxicating stories, gleefully free of moral judgment, are about people searching in the jagged margins of life—for homes, drugs, love, forgiveness. They range from the tragically funny opening story “Emergency Contact” to the audacious, drug-fuelled rush of “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” to the deranged and thrilling extreme of “King Me.”
The Beggar’s Garden is a powerful and affecting debut, written with an exceptional eye and ear and heart.
These darkly comic and intoxicating stories, gleefully free of moral judgment, are about people searching in the jagged margins of life—for homes, drugs, love, forgiveness. They range from the tragically funny opening story “Emergency Contact” to the audacious, drug-fuelled rush of “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” to the deranged and thrilling extreme of “King Me.”
The Beggar’s Garden is a powerful and affecting debut, written with an exceptional eye and ear and heart.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
29 people are currently reading
1726 people want to read
About the author
Michael Christie
32 books822 followersMICHAEL CHRISTIE is the award-winning author of the novel If I Fall, If I Die, which was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Kirkus Prize, was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice Pick, and was on numerous best-of 2015 lists. His linked collection of stories, The Beggar's Garden, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, shortlisted for the Writers' Trust Prize for Fiction, and won the Vancouver Book Award. His essays and book reviews have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Globe & Mail.
Greenwood, his most was released in September 2019. A bestseller in Canada, it has been nominated for numerous awards.
A former carpenter and homeless shelter worker, he divides his time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Galiano Island, where he lives with his wife and two sons in a timber frame house that he built himself.
Greenwood, his most was released in September 2019. A bestseller in Canada, it has been nominated for numerous awards.
A former carpenter and homeless shelter worker, he divides his time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Galiano Island, where he lives with his wife and two sons in a timber frame house that he built himself.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
March 2, 2017
Michael Christie has a way of looking at people and seeing the core of their being. He sees not the “discards” of society as he tells these stories but the people with dreams, ideas and feelings. He tells their stories with dignity, truth and understanding. I enjoyed every story within these pages.
The plights of the people in these stories are told in a way that brings their fears, paranoia and addictions to the reader. We share in their mania and look into their pasts.
Very well written. Christie’s words shape these people and their world.
The plights of the people in these stories are told in a way that brings their fears, paranoia and addictions to the reader. We share in their mania and look into their pasts.
Very well written. Christie’s words shape these people and their world.
April 21, 2011
Read. This. Book. Life changing read. SO much more than another bleak collection of stories about the Vancouver East Side. Don't be scared to dive into this book - the eloquent and compelling stories within serve to remind us that humanity takes many forms - and that what makes us different from each other is our histories. Michael Christie reminds us that there are people behind the stereotypes. With his authentic voice, he makes us think what we would do, who we would be, how we would act and feel if put in this time and place. There's a story here for everyone. I dare you to say that you cannot see parts of yourself in at least one of these characters.
September 29, 2021
Bittersweet and so, so beautifully written.
November 9, 2025
Sadly, this collection did not live up to its hype. It was not an uneven collection, but that observation is a way to say that none of the pieces stood out. I did not feel that any of the pieces actually became an excellent short story. Christie's skill is his evocative descriptions, and he is especially fond of turning nouns into verbs (don't knock it - that's where "mushroomed" got its start).
My favourite story, An Ideal Companion, is about obsessive dog owners (an overly common Vancouver breed) and feels like these are people the author actually knows, rather than just "characters" he is writing about. The stories set in the DTES (downtown east side — a low income area of Vancouver), while richly detailed, feel forced and false. Even An Ideal Companion, though, suffers from the lack of careful editing. Here are details we are given in this piece: 3 years ago W's girlfriend became pregnant; Dan has been living in his condo for 5 years; when W told Dan about the pregnancy, Dan and W were living with several guys (bandmates and others) in a shared house. Hello?? Sometimes fewer details are better. This gaffe could have repaired just by saying Dan had lived in the condo for "a couple of years". But reading this story I was puzzled how Dan and W went from being second-rate punk band members in a shared house to being property owners -- family money? Lottery winnings??
This omission was a glaring hole in this story, and in the place of that hole I kept thinking about the author himself, who moved with his young family to Thunder Bay, because they could not afford to live in Vancouver. But Dan and his band mate seemed to live in some sort of fantasy land where they face no such economic pressures. A display of the continuum of such pressures, from the DTES to the yuppies, would have enhanced this collection.
My favourite story, An Ideal Companion, is about obsessive dog owners (an overly common Vancouver breed) and feels like these are people the author actually knows, rather than just "characters" he is writing about. The stories set in the DTES (downtown east side — a low income area of Vancouver), while richly detailed, feel forced and false. Even An Ideal Companion, though, suffers from the lack of careful editing. Here are details we are given in this piece: 3 years ago W's girlfriend became pregnant; Dan has been living in his condo for 5 years; when W told Dan about the pregnancy, Dan and W were living with several guys (bandmates and others) in a shared house. Hello?? Sometimes fewer details are better. This gaffe could have repaired just by saying Dan had lived in the condo for "a couple of years". But reading this story I was puzzled how Dan and W went from being second-rate punk band members in a shared house to being property owners -- family money? Lottery winnings??
This omission was a glaring hole in this story, and in the place of that hole I kept thinking about the author himself, who moved with his young family to Thunder Bay, because they could not afford to live in Vancouver. But Dan and his band mate seemed to live in some sort of fantasy land where they face no such economic pressures. A display of the continuum of such pressures, from the DTES to the yuppies, would have enhanced this collection.
December 15, 2018
Beautiful language telling interesting unique ditties. Enjoyed.
March 20, 2011
Faces swing into our orbit and out again like comets, trajectories forever altered by Oppie’s generous crack policies and philosophical musings. He is electric and alive. His interest is insatiable. Lecturing as he walks, he relates mind-bending scientific concepts with ease and grace. We are a team. Although nobody recognizes him, I feel proud to be partying with such a distinguished man of science. Prostitutes approach him and he respectfully tells them he has no interest in “erotic labour” but gives them rocks and kind words. He is a gentleman.
***
Michael Christie’s debut collection, The Beggar’s Garden, takes the brightest light and shines it in the one place Vancouverites would most readily ignore: the downtown east side. The darkness, the homelessness, the rampant drug addiction and prostitution of the DTES are shown to their full effect, track-marked warts and all; but Christie also manages a minor miracle with the poverty-stricken setting of his nine linked short stories—the light he shines on the DTES also manages to pick up a great deal of beauty that one might never expect. Not beauty in the traditional sense, but beauty through tender moments of humanity—of history—that each of the characters in his stories manages to exhibit or unearth in the course of their all-too-short journeys.
Humans and locations are treated with equal reverence: whether it is a lonely woman who dials 911, convinced her soul mate is the paramedic that will come to save her life, or a man’s homeless grandson and the life he leads as a routine dumpster diver; be it the Woodwards building in its final, pre-abandonment/SFU makeover days, or the drastically reduced-in-availability of the Riverview institute in Coquitlam, the people and places depicted in Christie’s nine tales are tangible, full-bodied ghosts—remnants of the concentric ring of progress pushing them ever outward, away from Yaletown and the West End and everyone who’d prefer to pretend the DTES belonged to another province or another country altogether, one that mankind was free to forget.
The Beggar’s Garden is written from a place of experience and maturity. Christie, who has spent time working in a homeless shelter and with social outreach programs in the DTES, understands that the layers of complexity between each crust of the socially discarded and forgotten are no less terrible and wonderful than those that make up the rest of the lower mainland’s populace—or the populace of any major city, for that matter. This is a deftly executed collection, and hopefully the start of a long writing career for Michael Christie.
***
Michael Christie’s debut collection, The Beggar’s Garden, takes the brightest light and shines it in the one place Vancouverites would most readily ignore: the downtown east side. The darkness, the homelessness, the rampant drug addiction and prostitution of the DTES are shown to their full effect, track-marked warts and all; but Christie also manages a minor miracle with the poverty-stricken setting of his nine linked short stories—the light he shines on the DTES also manages to pick up a great deal of beauty that one might never expect. Not beauty in the traditional sense, but beauty through tender moments of humanity—of history—that each of the characters in his stories manages to exhibit or unearth in the course of their all-too-short journeys.
Humans and locations are treated with equal reverence: whether it is a lonely woman who dials 911, convinced her soul mate is the paramedic that will come to save her life, or a man’s homeless grandson and the life he leads as a routine dumpster diver; be it the Woodwards building in its final, pre-abandonment/SFU makeover days, or the drastically reduced-in-availability of the Riverview institute in Coquitlam, the people and places depicted in Christie’s nine tales are tangible, full-bodied ghosts—remnants of the concentric ring of progress pushing them ever outward, away from Yaletown and the West End and everyone who’d prefer to pretend the DTES belonged to another province or another country altogether, one that mankind was free to forget.
The Beggar’s Garden is written from a place of experience and maturity. Christie, who has spent time working in a homeless shelter and with social outreach programs in the DTES, understands that the layers of complexity between each crust of the socially discarded and forgotten are no less terrible and wonderful than those that make up the rest of the lower mainland’s populace—or the populace of any major city, for that matter. This is a deftly executed collection, and hopefully the start of a long writing career for Michael Christie.
July 29, 2015
I never thought I was a “short stories” person. I dunno, I just kind of formed this idea of a person who is constantly drinking coffee, carries a moleskine and liquid gel pen around with them and is constantly writing down pithy phrases and making “ironic” observations about the people around them so that they could one day write their own pathetic volume of short stories and give it to people at Christmas because no one will buy it. THOSE people were short stories people.
So #whostosay why I put this book on my To-Read list a couple of years ago. I couldn’t possibly have known that the author is super good-looking and used to be a professional skateboard #comeatmebro, and when I reread the book’s description this past week it didn’t necessarily grab me. But this collection of stories was quite the sucker-punch to my concept of living in Canada.
(Let me make a quick aside that reminds you all [or tells you for the first time] that I’m generally not a fan of books set in Canada. Maybe it’s all the prairie-waving, tough winters garbage that gets really old really fast, but they’ve just never really “got” me, y’know?)
Christie has spun a beautiful set of yarns (so would that make it a sweater? Mittens? Scarf? I digress) that for the most part touch on the lives of the marginalized in Vancouver. Dealing with mental illness, poverty, addiction, and loneliness, this book really makes you take a step back and acknowledge who surrounds you in your day to day wanderings through your own life. I found this book to be even more powerful because of some more recent experiences wandering the streets of Toronto and meeting homeless people with a group of youth from church. These people have unreal stories and the fact that someone is taking the time to “tell” them is, I think, an extremely important and beautiful thing.
And I mean #plz the man has a way with words. What an unbelievable grasp of language, vocabulary, and tone of voice – each story felt completely unique while all working together. Of course, some of the stories were weaker than others, but all in all a worthwhile and (honestly) uplifting collection. (Uplifting? With drugs, homelessness, and schizophrenia? Yeah, you read that right.)
So #whostosay why I put this book on my To-Read list a couple of years ago. I couldn’t possibly have known that the author is super good-looking and used to be a professional skateboard #comeatmebro, and when I reread the book’s description this past week it didn’t necessarily grab me. But this collection of stories was quite the sucker-punch to my concept of living in Canada.
(Let me make a quick aside that reminds you all [or tells you for the first time] that I’m generally not a fan of books set in Canada. Maybe it’s all the prairie-waving, tough winters garbage that gets really old really fast, but they’ve just never really “got” me, y’know?)
Christie has spun a beautiful set of yarns (so would that make it a sweater? Mittens? Scarf? I digress) that for the most part touch on the lives of the marginalized in Vancouver. Dealing with mental illness, poverty, addiction, and loneliness, this book really makes you take a step back and acknowledge who surrounds you in your day to day wanderings through your own life. I found this book to be even more powerful because of some more recent experiences wandering the streets of Toronto and meeting homeless people with a group of youth from church. These people have unreal stories and the fact that someone is taking the time to “tell” them is, I think, an extremely important and beautiful thing.
And I mean #plz the man has a way with words. What an unbelievable grasp of language, vocabulary, and tone of voice – each story felt completely unique while all working together. Of course, some of the stories were weaker than others, but all in all a worthwhile and (honestly) uplifting collection. (Uplifting? With drugs, homelessness, and schizophrenia? Yeah, you read that right.)
Read
April 8, 2025I'm not going to rate this because I feel like the way I feel about the book isn't indicative of its actual writing. I found this book well written, but it's just too raw and difficult for me to read right now. I just finished Greenwood and loved it so much that I wanted to devour everything this author has written, but this is very different.
Very difficult stories from people in Vancouver. it's written with kindness and through a perspective where you really feel that Michael Christie understands and is compassionate about the lives. However, I have a lot of uncertainty and heartache in my life right now and I'm looking to books as a reprieve to that. I don't have the emotional capacity to immerse myself in these uncomfortable lives. Maybe I'll pick it up at another time in my life and finish it.
Well written, but not for me right now.
Very difficult stories from people in Vancouver. it's written with kindness and through a perspective where you really feel that Michael Christie understands and is compassionate about the lives. However, I have a lot of uncertainty and heartache in my life right now and I'm looking to books as a reprieve to that. I don't have the emotional capacity to immerse myself in these uncomfortable lives. Maybe I'll pick it up at another time in my life and finish it.
Well written, but not for me right now.
August 17, 2025
I liked this book. An interesting set of short stories taking that showed different perspectives on living in Vancouver. It was also fun to know streets, neighbourhoods, etc. where things were taking place
October 25, 2021
I read this book of short stories, on & off, over the past couple of months. This author has a wonderful way of portraying all his characters. Very poignant. If any of these stories were turned into a novel, I would be interested to read more, because I feel like I only just got a little taste of each, and I would like to know what happens to them.
August 21, 2022
Beautifully written, painful to read.
March 7, 2013
One of my favourite things about this book is Christie's titles. They're genius.
"Emergency Contact" is about a woman who is completely isolated, and creates nonexistent relationships with certain paramedics she finds reasons to call again and again. At one point she's asked to give her emergency contact info, and asks to pass because she has no one to write down.
"Discard" is about a kid who is abandoned by his parents, raised by his grandparents, and ends up homeless on the streets of Vancouver. He makes his living salvaging junk and living off food found in dumpsters. He is a discard, and he lives on discards.
"The Extra" refers to a mentally disabled man living co-dependently with a friend. The friend uses the man's welfare cheques to support them both, handling all the daily tasks for both of them. When they land jobs as extras, his friend ends up with a bigger part and a lot of money, and ditches him. He is an extra, an added weight in the life of his friend, who can now function without him.
In "An Ideal Companion", lonely Dan gains a dog, and, for a brief time, a relationship with a woman who also owns a dog. He messes it up. But if he hadn't, and hadn't been so critical of her, she could have been his ideal companion.
"King Me" refers both to the checkers games Saul plays at the mental hospital where he lives, and also to his escalating megalomania.
See? Genius. It's amazing what the subconscious mind can do. Michael Christie is a talented writer who knows how to listen for the multi-layered references his mind brings to the surface, knows to write them down before they make sense, and then sit back and marvel at how relevant they are. This is where the mastery of poetry can enrich the writing of fiction. I wonder if he is also a poet.
"Emergency Contact" is about a woman who is completely isolated, and creates nonexistent relationships with certain paramedics she finds reasons to call again and again. At one point she's asked to give her emergency contact info, and asks to pass because she has no one to write down.
"Discard" is about a kid who is abandoned by his parents, raised by his grandparents, and ends up homeless on the streets of Vancouver. He makes his living salvaging junk and living off food found in dumpsters. He is a discard, and he lives on discards.
"The Extra" refers to a mentally disabled man living co-dependently with a friend. The friend uses the man's welfare cheques to support them both, handling all the daily tasks for both of them. When they land jobs as extras, his friend ends up with a bigger part and a lot of money, and ditches him. He is an extra, an added weight in the life of his friend, who can now function without him.
In "An Ideal Companion", lonely Dan gains a dog, and, for a brief time, a relationship with a woman who also owns a dog. He messes it up. But if he hadn't, and hadn't been so critical of her, she could have been his ideal companion.
"King Me" refers both to the checkers games Saul plays at the mental hospital where he lives, and also to his escalating megalomania.
See? Genius. It's amazing what the subconscious mind can do. Michael Christie is a talented writer who knows how to listen for the multi-layered references his mind brings to the surface, knows to write them down before they make sense, and then sit back and marvel at how relevant they are. This is where the mastery of poetry can enrich the writing of fiction. I wonder if he is also a poet.
May 12, 2018
I did not generally enjoy this book but did find it well written. I would like to add more details but this book was published by one of the big five publishing houses (see note below).
Note: I used togive full reviews for all of the books that I rated on GR. However, GR's new giveaway policies (Good Reads 2017 November Giveaways Policies Changes) have caused me to change my reviewing decisions. These new GR policies seem to harm smaller publishing efforts in favour of providing advantage to the larger companies (GR Authors' Feedback), the big five publishers (Big Five Publishers). So, because of these policies from now on I will be supporting smaller publishing effort by only giving full reviews to books published by: companies outside the big five companies, indie publishers, and self-published authors. This book was published by one of the big five companies so will not receive a more detailed review by me.
Note: I used togive full reviews for all of the books that I rated on GR. However, GR's new giveaway policies (Good Reads 2017 November Giveaways Policies Changes) have caused me to change my reviewing decisions. These new GR policies seem to harm smaller publishing efforts in favour of providing advantage to the larger companies (GR Authors' Feedback), the big five publishers (Big Five Publishers). So, because of these policies from now on I will be supporting smaller publishing effort by only giving full reviews to books published by: companies outside the big five companies, indie publishers, and self-published authors. This book was published by one of the big five companies so will not receive a more detailed review by me.
February 9, 2011
A great collection of Vancouver-set stories from former pro skateboarder Michael Christie.
My favourites are the first story, Emergency Contact, which is both laugh-out-loud and break-your-heart good, and the best story in the collection in my opinion, The Extra, and An Ideal Companion.
Vancouver's "notorious Downtown Eastside" (ALWAYS gotta say it like that) was a place I didn't know about until seeing the documentary series about the cops who patrol the area, The Beat. It's on OLN, and sometimes on CityTV at 11 PM on Saturday after a showing of Maid in Manhattan, etc. I really recommend the show, this book, and this interview with Michael Christie.
Other reviews:
National Post
Quill and Quire
My favourites are the first story, Emergency Contact, which is both laugh-out-loud and break-your-heart good, and the best story in the collection in my opinion, The Extra, and An Ideal Companion.
Vancouver's "notorious Downtown Eastside" (ALWAYS gotta say it like that) was a place I didn't know about until seeing the documentary series about the cops who patrol the area, The Beat. It's on OLN, and sometimes on CityTV at 11 PM on Saturday after a showing of Maid in Manhattan, etc. I really recommend the show, this book, and this interview with Michael Christie.
Other reviews:
National Post
Quill and Quire
December 7, 2012
This collection of short stories is set in the “riotous and hellish, but strangely contained, slum of [Vancouver’s] Downtown Eastside”. This area which includes part of Hastings Street is infamous across Canada. As one of Christie’s characters observes: “It was as if the country had been tipped up at one end and all the sorry b!@#$%$s had slid west, stopping only when they reached the sea, perhaps because the sea didn’t want them either.”
Told from various points of view – the grandfather who leaves food and clothing in dumpsters that he knows his drug-addicted grandson dives, an addict who has just spent his entire welfare cheque on a giant dope trip, a woman who runs a second-hand store, and so on – the stories all intrigued me.
Short story collections always seem to have a few weaker pieces. I didn’t think this had any.
Read this if: you’re interested in knowing just how close any one of us is to being on the street; or you’d like some insight into the people in a Canadian city’s slum. 4 stars
Told from various points of view – the grandfather who leaves food and clothing in dumpsters that he knows his drug-addicted grandson dives, an addict who has just spent his entire welfare cheque on a giant dope trip, a woman who runs a second-hand store, and so on – the stories all intrigued me.
Short story collections always seem to have a few weaker pieces. I didn’t think this had any.
Read this if: you’re interested in knowing just how close any one of us is to being on the street; or you’d like some insight into the people in a Canadian city’s slum. 4 stars
February 15, 2011
Debut collection of short stories, mostly set in Vancouver's Downtown East side. I liked the setting and some of the description that Christie brought to the stories was just beautiful.
There were some stories I liked better than others. Christie used to work with mentally ill people, and 2 of the stories deal with mental illness. He does a great job of showing the lives of street people and the mentally ill. I felt this collection was a bit uneven, but still showed a lot of talent.
There were some stories I liked better than others. Christie used to work with mentally ill people, and 2 of the stories deal with mental illness. He does a great job of showing the lives of street people and the mentally ill. I felt this collection was a bit uneven, but still showed a lot of talent.
March 29, 2013
This was in interesting group of semi-interlinking stories, each stand-alone, that had some great spots. Being from Vancouver, and all the stories set in Vancouver, and each story with a tie to the Downtown East Side, I could imagine each of the characters, where they walked and lived.
I wish I could have given this book 5 stars but there was just "something" missing to warrant the fifth star. Enjoyable read though.
I wish I could have given this book 5 stars but there was just "something" missing to warrant the fifth star. Enjoyable read though.
November 15, 2016
Possibly closer to 4.5 stars...this was a sad yet beautiful collection of connected (ish) short stories. There were a couple I didn't enjoy as much for or had endings I was disappointed in but overall it was a beautiful collection of characters in Vancouver's notorious Downtown East side.
January 9, 2018
These Canadian penned stories about the eclectic & rough eastend of Vancouver exceeded my expectations. Each short story is complete, unique (yet linked), honest and so full of raw humanity. They portray a truthful window into the life of mental illness and street living that is rarely shared with such depth. So glad I received this collection in my book clubs Xmas book swap, it was a gift to read. Shortlisted for the Giller and winner of several awards, The Beggars Garden, deserves more attention.
October 5, 2020
A collection of stories by the author of Greenwood dealing with mental illness, homelessness, and the breakdown of relationships. Thoughtful, insightful, and so well written. The saddest story for me was 'The Extra' -- it broke my heart. Like Christie's novel, If I Fall, If I Die, the content is a tough read, but worthwhile, giving the reader an insight into the issues facing those who are mentally ill, homeless, and those who care for them.
January 26, 2021
A volume of short stories about misfits and tender-hearted villains living on the streets of Vancouver.
Written with a depth of understanding of the human condition rarely found. Christie relates the strange, tragic and funny struggles of a diverse group of characters who live in the margins of life, free of moral judgment and with a level of wonder of life's slips and falls. Christie writes iwth tremendous heart and compassion.
Written with a depth of understanding of the human condition rarely found. Christie relates the strange, tragic and funny struggles of a diverse group of characters who live in the margins of life, free of moral judgment and with a level of wonder of life's slips and falls. Christie writes iwth tremendous heart and compassion.
August 1, 2022
Did not finish. This collection of short stories are very well written and poignant, offering a view into the perspectives of people experiencing addiction, homelessness, poverty, loneliness, regret, and other more mundane life challenges. I wanted to give it a fair shot because it made me think about things I might not otherwise be exposed to, but I personally also found it very depressing. I put it down a while ago and haven’t found the desire to pick it up again, so I’m done with this one.
February 22, 2021
A set of short stories set in Vancouver, especially featuring the poor, homeless, and mentally ill. The stories are told with dignity, providing an unusual perspective for the reader. 3.5/5 stars.
So impressed that Christie developed into the writer of Greenwood, one of my favourite novels in recent years. Will continue to read more of his work.
So impressed that Christie developed into the writer of Greenwood, one of my favourite novels in recent years. Will continue to read more of his work.
May 27, 2024
I give this a five for the writing but as the subject matter is difficult and not what I would call "fun reading", I have to downgrade it to a four just in terms of how much I enjoyed it. I don't love short stories, but honestly he's a brilliant writer and these are so well crafted that I actually looked forward to picking up the book.
September 4, 2025
Excellent collection of linked short stories set in Vancouver (and concentrated near the Downtown Eastside). Picked it up after enjoying Greenwood last year and found these all tender, interesting, bittersweet, and dignified - a great collection of stories that aren't plot-driven but engaging nonetheless.
December 20, 2019
Phenomenal book, a vivid and psychological depiction of the humanity in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The symbolism between structure and soul was phenomenal, and the subtle connections between each story was touching!
February 19, 2021
Outstanding short stories set in Vancouver's East End, familiar to me from having worked at a nearby flophouse in the early '70s. The first story knocked my socks off. And the rest of the book did not disappoint.
December 28, 2021
This author has so much to say and is amazing at saying it. Each character seems impossible and yet it is like I have known someone like this. Even me. I am so glad I found Christie. I have yet another of his waiting beside my bed.
February 20, 2023
I have always said that I hate short stories. But I loved Greenwood so much that I had to give these a try, and I found this collection so beautiful and sad and insightful. Michael Christie is a very gifted writer. Loved this book!
April 2, 2023
This a great collection of well written short stories by the author of Greenwood. The stories involve people searching for home, love, forgiveness and identity amongst other things. These engaging tales are powerfully told with tenderness and humor.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews