October 14, 2014 / Leslie

Review & Giveaway: A Brief Moment of Weightlessness

Contemporary Fiction, Short Stories, TLC Tours

A Brief Moment of Weightlessness
Stories by Victoria Fish

Genre: Short Stories, Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Mayapple Press | June 2014
Format: Paperback | 132 pages
Rating: 4½ of 5

About the Book:

A Brief Moment of Weightlessness is a collection of short stories that illuminate the beauty and extraordinariness of “ordinary” lives. Each explores the human desire for connectedness and grace.

The stories range from large upheavals to small moments. These illuminating, heartbreaking, poignant, astute stories take on serious issues of death/dying, injury, infidelity, aftermath of war, estrangement and more, but without a sense of gloom that could overwhelm them.

My Thoughts:

A well-crafted short story can have a strong impact on the reader; A Brief Moment of Weightlessness is that type of collection. It is a slim volume of only 130 pages, but each of these eleven stories offers a powerful glimpse into a slice of life of ordinary people.

I enjoyed all of the stories, but one of my favorites was Unleashed.

In Unleashed, Alison, a busy young mother pays a visit to a memory care nursing home as part of a ‘Pet Visiting Program’ with her young son, Thomas, and their dog. As the residents of the home have trouble remembering the details of their lives, or even what day it is, we see in contrast Alison’s preoccupation with her own worries and forgetfulness.

Did I take the chicken out to defrost?
Did I leave the house unlocked for the cleaning lady?
How old was Thomas when he took his first step?

Almost in a panic, Alison then imagines her own son struggling as an old man, 80 years from now. When one of the residents insists Alison is her niece, she decides not to argue with the woman’s version of reality.

What these stories all have in common is their ability to present serious topics in a thoughtful and genuine manner with rich, elegant prose. It was easy to empathize with many of these characters and to feel emotionally connected, something that doesn’t always happen with short stories. Although each story is complete, in the end they will leave the reader wanting more.

About the Author:

In addition to writing short stories, Victoria Fish is pursuing her Masters of Social Work. Her stories have appeared in numerous literary magazines, including Hunger Mountain, Slow Trains, Wild River Review, and Literary Mama. She lives with her husband and three boys in the hills of Vermont. A Brief Moment of Weightlessness is her first book.

For More Info: Publisher | Amazon | Goodreads | Webpage

Giveaway – US and Canada

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of A Brief Moment of Weightlessness to give away to a reader with a mailing address in the US or Canada. To enter, fill out the form below on or before October 25th. For an extra entry tweet or blog the giveaway and include the link. I will draw a random winner who will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond.

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For a list of tour stops click HERE.

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Source: Review copy from TLC Book Tours
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