"Turning on the Christmas Lights" by Nellie Woods
Posted by Margaret Walker on Friday, March 13, 2020 Under: Book Reviews
In : Book Reviews
Tags: nellie-woods short-stories flash-fiction irish-stories diversity
Enchanting, heartwarming and downright quirky tales.
This author is observant, compassionate and her stories engage the reader. However, I would encourage her to be a bolder writer. The stories were interesting and any one of them could have been further developed to get inside the heads of the characters and hook the reader with a really satisfying emotional experience. Take risks with language; break rules; develop an original style that readers will recognize as uniquely Nellie Woods and come to love - I can easily tell that she has the ability to do this. “Heaven by the Lake”, for example, is a short story of moral dilemmas and the Troubles in Northern Ireland, with enough material for an entire novel. The characters, their backstories and the issues they faced were quite gripping, and I wanted to know more. The final story, “Foot Against the Headstone”, was a memorable funeral tale and my favourite.
I would like to see what this author can do when she
relinquishes her present control, because I think she would be fabulous.
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In : Book Reviews