what an excellent short story collection. I was familiar with some of the from The New Quartlery, so it was fun to see how they had developed since being published there. the stories are subtle, but quietly devastating, and the range of voices and characters are handled with astonishing ease. My favourite stories were about the mother characters who clumsily tried to relate to their children/in laws, who tried and failed to connect, and not be their worst selves (especially the overly critical knitting grandma). highly recommend!This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review4 s Drew628 25

This was an amazing collection of short stories. I heard about from a 2023 CBC list of books to read. I’ve been on a kick of Canadian writers, and Lisa Alward is up there with the best of them. I love short stories, both writing and reading them. You have such a short time to capture your reader’s attention and impart something to them, be it a mood, a visceral feeling, an idea, or a lesson. Alward nails it, never overdoing or undercooking her stories.

“Cocktail”, the first story, was filled with amazing writing setting such a mood and feel. It was excellent and I loved it. A perfect choice to open this collection. “Old Growth” was interesting, especially the mood it evoked, but I thought the ending seemed a little quick and had an unneeded twist. But I still d it. "Pomegranate" didn't grab me the rest of the stories, but it still deserves a place in this collection.

I keep saying it, but Alward really knows how to set a mood, especially with “Hawthorne Yellow”. It is nice and tightly written, nothing extra, nothing missing. The same goes for “Wise Men Say”, a familiar story but so crisply and wonderfully written.

When I read “Orlando, 1974”, I was just ‘wow’. I felt I was there. I had the same single thought after reading “Maeve”: ‘wow’. It was just amazing. And I loved “Little Girl Lost”, it was such an interesting ride.

“Bear Country” is dark and heart wrenching, and I savored every moment of it. “Hyacinth Girl” wowed me. It is the sad and complex story of a relationship that grew apart and was complicated. “Bundle of Joy” was heartbreaking and intimate.

Alward ends with “How the Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”. It is a wonderful conclusion to an astonishing collection of short stories. Lisa Alward’s Cocktail is one of the best collections of short stories I’ve ever read, and among the best things I read this year.6-stars short-stories2 s Lucy BlackAuthor 4 books31



Cocktail by Lisa Alward is a collection of twelve pristine stories. The writing is crisp and assured, and the characters are vividly drawn as they struggle between that which they believe to be right and that which they desire. In the title story, a young girl, not yet fourteen, is visited in her bedroom by a male friend of her parents. There is a deliberate building of sexual tension in the scene, with the girl’s powerlessness and vulnerability fully exposed. Although her brother interrupts the encounter, saving her from what the reader knows would be a sexual assault, the girl is left craving the aborted excitement. That unfulfilled longing shadows her future encounters with male partners and plays a significant role in her intimate relationships. Other characters include a frantic mother trying to balance the demands of parenting with a career and household responsibilities, a new grandmother who accidentally drops the baby, an ex-wife jealous of the relationship between her son and his step-mother, and others. Each piece highlights moments of human frailty, frustrated ambition, and longing. An evocative and stunning collection. Highly recommended.


2 s Kelly Greenwood451 1 follower

Lots to think about in this collection of short stories. Glad I have time to mull them over between now and late March when PALS book club is scheduled to discuss.

Love supporting local authors. Lisa grew up in Halifax, our paths crossed in high school, and for many years I worked with her father, John.2 s Kate912 52

|| COCKTAIL ||
#gifted @biblioasis_books
?
Autor del comentario:
=================================