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Fantasy, Psychological, Literature, Short Stories
Gnarled Bones and Other Stories explores five tales of loss, fear, and guilt where strange and spooky events impact people’s lives in ways that are profound and unchangeable. In “Mother of Mischief”, a newly divorced woman goes back to school to begin a new chapter of her life only to find herself circling back to where she started. In “Bracelets”, childhood nostalgia mingles with brutal fear during a circus outing for a mailroom secretary and her friends. In “A First Saturday Outing”, a lonely woman ventures out of her isolated apartment one quiet Saturday afternoon to an art exhibit that leaves an eerie impression on her psyche. In “Broken Bows”, a middle-aged violinist reveals the mystery behind his declining artistic powers to a lonely woman on a train. And the title story, “Gnarled Bones”, paints a portrait of the complex bond between an orphaned sister and brother through journal entries and first-person narrative. For these characters, the past leaves its shadow on the present and future.
3 out of 5 (good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
5 short (and I do mean SHORT, whole book is 40 odd pages, hour and ten minutes to read) stories that messed with my head. This is by no means a negative review, not at all. It's just they didn't work for me. Someone else may well love them. They are all well written, with no editing or spelling errors I spotted. They just, for me, didn't work. I read them all, and for all five books, I didn't get the point of the story. My immediate reaction when I finished was 'what did I just read???' I'm sorry I didn't love them, because I like the way May tells their stories. I'd like to read a longer piece by this author. Because I did read them all, and ONLY that reason... 3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Tam May was born in Israel but grew up in America. She earned her college degree in English before returning to the States. She also has a Master's degree in English and worked as an English college instructor and EFL teacher before she became a full-time writer. She started writing when she was 14 and writing became her voice. She writes psychological fiction that explores emotional realities informed by past experiences, dreams, feelings, fantasies, nightmares, imagination, and self-analysis. Her first work, a short story collection titled Gnarled Bones And Other Stories is out now in paperback. She is currently working on a novella series titled Waxwood Series and a book titled House of Masks. She currently lives in Texas but calls San Francisco and the Bay Area home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading classic literature and watching classic films. For more information, feel free to check out her website at www.tammayauthor.com