From My Bookshelf: Featuring Emma Donahue

This is the most interesting concept for short stories I have ever read.  Each is only 4 or 5 pages long and at the end is the newspaper story that inspired Donahue to write the fictional story that lead to the headline.  Brilliant!!

Each character from the pages have gone astray in some sense, other wise they have no connection.  Some have happy consequences, some funny, some sad.  The stories cross centuries and countries.  They are about counterfeiters, sculptors, con artists, drifters or slaves.  They cross the borders  of laws, race and sanity.

Spanning three centuries and two continents the stories are marvelously diverse.  Without spoilers I am unable to say much more other than the historical details that situate each story are terrific,  the newspaper accounts are varied, bizarre and wonderful.  As always, Donahue’s writing is well crafted.  I LOVED it.

– Frog Music

– Room

and many others

Originally posted on: Gateway Gazette