Time Passages

With an impressive collection of short stories, “Shoot the Horses First” rivers through history, ferrying the lives of characters into our concern. The research of historian Leah Angstman infuses these accounts with rich detail– not heavy-handed trivia– but portraits of scenarios that strike authentic notes.

In “Orphan Train” we see nineteenth century youths nabbed and auctioned off for child labor and other unimaginable abuses. In “Every Time It Snows,” the wife of a Civil War veteran fights to keep her husband from mentally losing his grasp to wartime memories. In “Casting Grand Titans,” the world of a female botanist is broken down into scientific specifics, yet our focus is in the drama of her struggle for recognition.

My favorite passage is “A Lifetime of Fishes,” about Grace, a young woman rescued and nursed to health by Wampanoag tribesmen. She is given the opportunity to stay with these people, people who have displayed only love. She must choose between this and a return to her home. It dawns on her that “to find a home is an endless search.” Along the way we see the trinkets, the clothing, and the authentic goods of everyday life. This mosaic serves to conjure the illustrations in our imagination.

There are sixteen stories in this collection, some only a page or two long, and each one leaves interest in what might happen after. A beautiful book of histories without the dust.

Thank you to Leah Angstman for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to Lori at TNBBC for connecting me to this work in the first place. fiction historical-fiction shorts-novellas56 s Sherry770 81

Having read Out Front the Following Sea by Leah Angstman which I loved so much (and highly recommend) I was excited to be offered an arc of Shoot the Horses First, a collection of short stories of historical fiction, and I wasn’t disappointed. In fact, I was drawn over and over again to pick this up despite a very hectic and busy last three weeks. Usually I can read a book every couple of days, but with being so busy I’ve had neither the time, energy or inclination to read. The only exception has been Shoot the Horses First. These short stories were perfect. Some stories were no more than a couple of pages which fit very well for my chaotic life right now and it filled the reading void as I could read something short but still felt a full rounded out story. My favourite of them all was the novella, Casting Grand Titans, about a female botanist who is trying to teach a university course while doing research but is held back by the rampant sexism that does not value her contributions. I loved the characters in this story and could have gone on reading about them. But the shorter stories shine in their way because the author is able to take the brevity of the pages and subvert the story enough so that while reading, one thing seems true, only to discover in fact it was something completely different. I quite enjoyed the way she played with the structure and character in a way that was startling and would take the story in an unexpected and more interesting direction. I find that despite the setting and time for which the stories are written, they have meaning and relevance for todays world. So, it’s one of the very few short stories collections that not only did I finish (sometimes I just don’t ) but that I found consistently solid storytelling. I think at this point, I’d pretty much read anything this woman writes.arc books-collected-2022 historical-fiction ...more9 s Jason1,259 124

Every now and then you come across a book that is so good that any words that you are able to string together are never going to do the book justice. Shoot the Horses First is one of those books, a collection of historical short stories that are impeccably researched (99% sure if you had a time machine, you’d meet Angstman sat somewhere taking notes) and are a massive joy to read. They do have one fault though…each story is over way too soon dammit!

By far my favourites in this collection were the longer stories, Casting Grand Titans follows a trailblazing woman as she battles against the male institution of science, even though she has a degree and proven herself, being a woman means she can’t be taken seriously, or even be paid a proper wage…and all this whilst carrying out heroic activities. A Lifetime of fishes follows another strong independent woman involved in a shipwreck and rescued by an Indian, the detail and care by Angstman here following Indian traditions and using their language, when possible, reminded me so much of her last book Out Front The Following Sea. Finally, The Light Ages; or, Holes in the Heart was so moving I almost cried at the end, it follows a young woman kept in hiding from a domineering mother and a young man who tries to share her and her music with the world, the writing was stunning here, and I could almost hear the music…even over my neighbours having a shout at each other.

At the end of the book are some historical notes and these are well worth a read, you’ll be surprised that you have learnt some facts from reading this book and there is the fantastic news that some of these short stories were inspired by upcoming books…I can’t wait to give those a read. As you can probably guess Angstman is one of my favourite authors and this is the perfect book for those to also become hooked on her work. A fan of historical fiction? Then grab yourself a copy of Shoot the Horses First.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...read-in-20226 s Lori1,573 55.8k Read

Thrilled to be pairing back up with Leah Angstman this year to help promote her stunning debut historical short story collection. We'll be kicking publicity off in August. Don't be shy, if you want to review the book for us or interview Leah hit me up here with a DM!authors-ive-met-irl books-im-working-with fiction ...more5 s EVA UJHELYI37 2

Shoot The Horses First by Leah Angstman Review

???Reading Leah Angstman’s work is going back in time, a time when I knew that I am in good hands and the book will guide me through anything.’

I wish I could have ten more books from her. Or let’s just be greedy for a second and imagine that every time when I finish a book another one appears and I would have a never-ending supply of gold letters and heartfelt stories worth enough to be alive for. It might sound I am overreacting and probably I am but I was so thirsty for these kinds of stories and the way she writes just resonates with something deep inside my soul that I thought I lost a long time ago. That part of me was alive the most when I was writing. Back then.

Shoot The Horses First is a collection of historical short stories situated in America approximately in the late 1800s. It contains 16 stories varying in length from 2- 52 pages. The book is beautifully illustrated inside and it has a page for the table of contents, huge thanks to whoever made it happen. It also has historical notes at the end which you definitely have to read because it makes the whole book more amazing. And it also features a glossary of Wôpanâak terms; one of the main reasons I have fallen in love with her work. As a language enthusiast, it brings me joy to see a language as beautiful as the Wôpanâak bloom in front of so many people (including me) who might have lived their life not knowing anything about it.

If I look at the stories as a whole I just have to admit I loved all of them. listening to an album where all of the songs are just as good as the one before. Even though not many people listen to an album from start to finish anymore. But just a writer has their favourite stories I did have mine also.
Corner to Corner, End to End was the perfect opening for this collection, it was only 2 pages but I could see a whole movie lying in front of me. It was about a launderer who is walking from house to house to do the laundry of rich families with an interesting twist in the end.

There is Orphan Train which is one of those stories that you read with an aching heart, especially when you know that it is all based on real life when kids on these trains were inspected a horse to see if they were fit and healthy enough to work or to get adopted which would most of the case led to probably you guessed it: work or something worse.

Casting Grand Titans is my second favourite story from the collection. Agatha Acton, a botanist working and doing extensive research in a university faces the prejudice of her time; Women in STEM do not exist or more precisely; could not exist. She and her work are denied and constantly belittled by men who can not think any other way.
I loved her character so much she felt someone I could look up to and it made me feel less alone in my own field. I don’t want to say a lot about these short stories because they have amazing twists not just in their storytelling but in their character development as well, so just trust me on this when I say: Yes, yes and yes not just for the strong female characters but for the male ones as well. It was so refreshing to read male leading characters who were not giving me an allergic reaction to life when I read them. She built up a beautiful contrast by putting male characters of absolute stupidity, disrespect and disgust beside the ones I mentioned above.

In A Lifetime of fishes, a woman gets washed up on the land of the Wampanoag tribe in a damaged rowing boat with a serious leg injury. The men of the tribe could have chosen to leave her to succumb to the inevitable but instead one of them chose to help her. And this is how Grace Hewitt’s long self-exploration journey starts. Leaving your home for a new one leaving your old body for a new one. It’s a hard and confusing transition and anyone who ever left their home country to live somewhere else could relate to this feeling of not quite belonging anymore anywhere. There is a lot to learn about the Wampanoag tribe as well and I truly enjoyed every crumb of information about their culture and their traditions. It also features romance but the soft kind, the caring kind where the woman is being treated and nourished with an almost parental love if she was a bird who broke her wings.

There are also the short little sparks which could season your reading plate ; In Name Only where an outcast girl finds a man who marries her without taking advantage of her body. A heartfelt, uplifting story of solidarity and empathy. It restores your faith in humanity even if it’s only a fictional story.
In Yellow Flowers, we face the cruel times of yellow fever in 1793 through the eyes of a girl called Anna who lost her family to the disease. In The Blood is a grotesque story about a doctor who is trying to invent a way how blood transfusion works in order to save the lives of people who’d lost a significant amount of blood. When the reader joins him in his story he is using a dog as his donor.

The one story that won my heart from the very first page is
The Light Ages; Or, Holes In The Heart. It starts with Meriwether Capp who is studying to be a doctor and playing baseball in his free time with his friends, accidentally crashes a window. The window belongs to Julie Fischer who even though seemed to be present at the time, according to her family; does not exist. If this did not pique your interest enough the rest of the story definitely will. A beautifully crafted story about life, passion, creativity, hope, love and freedom. This was my favourite story, my number one out of all of the other ones, not just because I relate to Julie in a certain way ( having presumably almost the same condition as her in the book) but because of the way their passion; hers and Meriwether’s was portrayed. Their passion to play and making music to create something eternal which not only stands as a statement against the very meaning of death of the inevitable fear of never existing but feeds the soul to ascend to a higher level of being. To find peace and balance within yourself and truly love what matters the most. Exceptionally written and I probably will re-read it anytime when I feel low and need some light in my troubled mind.

There are many many more stories and my short review does not give justice to Shoot The Horses First, but this is an excellent book from an amazing author who has definitely became one of my favourite writers of all time. I end up running in circles every time when I try to collect my thoughts about her writing; I wish I had more from her. Please Leah Angstman, never stop writing.
2 s Leah AngstmanAuthor 18 books143

It's possible that, as the author, I'm a smidge biased, but I love this collection, and it contains a novella that is my favorite thing I've ever written. I'd love for you to meet these characters! (And the book *did* win the Shorts Award for Americana Fiction, so it was d by at least one other person besides my mom!)a-list-of-good-fiction3 s Not Sarah Connor Writes504 36

Thanks to The Next Best Book Club for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!

Leah Angstman's debut novel was my first read of 2022 and now her short story collection is my first read of 2023. I this pattern! A wonderful collection of short stories covering a variety of topics and times in American history. I was especially impressed with how Angstman features disabled characters with so much respect in her work!

Read the full review for each of the stories on my blog!fiction historical-fiction reviewed ...more1 Anne GreenawaltAuthor 2 books10

Full review forthcoming! But my micro review is that this collection of historical fiction had everything I loved about Angstman's first novel: precise historical detail deftly woven into the narrative, strong women characters, and plots that kept the stories moving. The mix of long and flash stories worked well to provide overall pacing for the book, though I tended to favor the longer stories because Angstman's world building and character development are so good that I don't want the stories to end.1 Reader Views3,025 159

“Shoot the Horses First” is the first collection of short stories from award-winning author Leah Angstman, and it does not disappoint! This collection, aptly called histories, guides the reader through a tremendous breadth of American history, legend, and atmosphere. In addition to the diverse collection of histories, Angstman includes several pages of historical notes and a glossary of Wôpanâak terms used in the story “A Lifetime of Fishes.” These additions enrich the histories even more, appealing to history buffs and casual readers a.

As with any short story collection, some stories are bound to stand out to readers more than others. For me personally, “Casting Grand Titans,” “A Lifetime of Fishes,” and “The Desert Jewel” captured my heart and imagination. Angstman has a true talent for developing complicated and lovable characters. Agatha of “Casting Grand Titans” and Grace of “A Lifetime of Fishes” are two women with similar motivations and desires for freedom, but radically different ways of achieving them and dealing with the men and world around them. Seeing similar themes with fresh presentation kept this collection original.

“The Desert Jewel” provides a compelling male lead in Mitchell Castor. This story is simultaneously bittersweet and heartwarming, allowing our imperfect lead to find his own meaning in life after heartbreak. I also found stories that made me laugh out loud, “One Night, When the Breath of August Blew Hotter” and some that made me despair, “Yellow Flowers.”

Angstman’s collection is a varied set of histories, serving as quick glimpses into America’s past. They’re stories I wish we had read in all my US History classes because of the life they give to events and times I’ve only learned dry facts about, and mostly forgotten. It is a collection that gives life to historical fiction, a genre I usually don’t read much of.

This collection would be a wonderful read for anyone passionate about women-centric historical tales, historical fiction, and the rich history of America. If you’re hesitant to read historical fiction, this collection is a great place to start. It’s a perfect slice of Americana!
Carole Rae1,405 42

Been meaning to read this since I was given this as a gift, but you know how life gets ;)

This is a collection of short stories that do not really tie into each other so you can read these individually which I appreciated. Normally with anthologies, I break down each short story. I am not going to do that. 1) There are 16 of them. 2) Some are soooo short. Maybe a page or two while others are pages and pages. 3) I am lazy and tired.

Honestly, this was a nice collection of stories. We got to see different time periods and different types of characters. Some stories are feel-good. Some deeper. Some sad. Some...confusing. A nice variety overall.

There are a couple that really, really stuck with me. I would LOVE to read more.

'The Orphan Train'....I NEED MORE! WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT POOR KID?!

'Casting Grand Titans'....WHAT! OMG. I have hopes and thoughts, but what does she decide???? I understand why she was upset BUT it was that time. I truly think he did what he thought was best. Ugh. This could be a full novel for shizzle.

'In Name Only'.....this was good. I wanted to cry and cheer and scream. So many feels.

'A Lifetime of Fishes'.....another one that should be a full-length novel. Probably my favorite of this whole collection.

'The Desert Jewel'....this one surprised me. It started off meh but then TWIST and I ended up loving it. Can't blame him.

Now, it did take me forever to get through this. Not because it was bad...it was all on me. I wanted to take my time with this guy. Some of these stories were super impactful so I wanted to take my time this was a dry wine. Slow and steady.

In the end, I highly recommend this. It was really good. Some stories were better than others, but there wasn't one I didn't . 4 stars from me. Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ...2,011 50

Leah Angstman's short story collection Shoot the Horses First is intelligent, unique and moving. The stories were often quite short but the impact was still huge. These short stories were perfect.

I loved the novella, Casting Grand Titans, which centered on a female botanist who is teaching at a university but experiencing injustice based on her gender. The sexism she dealt with was relatable to me -- and probably to all women. Her work isn't valued. This story is one that I will think about and return to often.

And, although most of the stories are rooted in history they still felt timely and relevant today.historical-fiction history legends-and-myths-retellings ...more3 s Chelsie1,170

I enjoyed these quick historical reads. This is a nice book to have on the coffee table to read a story or two when you don't have a lot of time or just want a few moments to escape every day life. I would love if some of these stories were turned into actual novels. It was also a great mix of different stories. War, Indians, orphans, World's Fair and more. It was a mix in that each story was different and gave you a bit of something you had not maybe known or heard of. This is a nice in between novel when you need a break from a full length story or just want to learn a few tidbits of history. Thank you to HFVBT for the invite, and to the author and publisher for the free book. advanced-reader-books on-my-shelves Laurie MarshallAuthor 5 books3

Once again, Leah Angstman has written a book that gives plenty of detail and makes a reader feel they are learning history without sacrificing story and character and humor. I will read everything she writes. Brittany Hale221 3

Autor del comentario:
=================================