‘The centre of the room houses her favourite thing in the space: a dragonfly encased in amber. She loves the thin, delicate markings on its webbed wings, the tiny buds of its antennae. This is history. This is something precious stopped in time. And while it makes her sad to think of how the dragonfly made its sticky end, she thinks how cool is it that time can march on while it lies there, preserved in inexhaustible detail?’
A homeless boy walks the city in search of a prized possession. A couple wakes to a day where the sun refuses to rise. Two housemates, reeling from the loss of their friend, are saddled with the care of a pot plant. A new student attempts to include herself in the worst known environment: a new school. A girl, lost in time, adapts to the new normal.
These fourteen short stories explore connectivity, resilience, grief and the small ways to navigate the uncertainties of life.
Authors included: Sandy Bigna, D. J. Blackmore, Geraldine Borella, Samantha-Ellen Bound, Niko Campbell-Ellis, Peter Clarkson, Kelly Emmerton, Carla Fitzgerald, Kate Gordon, Deborah Huff-Horwood, Elizabeth Macintosh, Laura Norris, Frances Prentice and R. A. Stephens.
Written during the current pandemic, when we questioned everything about life, this is a wonderful collection of fourteen short stories, suited to upper secondary students.
These short stories are all about experiencing life, both the good and the bad times. These stories draw on how we can all learn from what we go through, and prove to ourselves how strong and resilient we really can be.
They are stories of how deep experiences in life help shape who we become, and how we react to confronting situations.
From escaping broken and violent family situations, overcoming grief, anxiety and mental health issues, these stories are ones that will stay with you.
These stories might be short, but they are powerful and insightful, and with the stories all coming from different authors they tackle the theme of uncertainty from a variety of perspectives. A wonderful read for those living in uncertain times.
Reviewed by Sam