Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better about the World
ISBN: 9781578691609
Publisher: Rootstock Publishing
Publication Date: 02/20/2024
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 4.5 Stars(ARC)
"Covid-19 stole so much. But one of the things it couldn't steal was the power of stories."
From the author of the international bestseller The Headmaster's Wife and other novels comes a collection of essays written during the Covid-19 pandemic while the author sheltered in place in his tiny Vermont town.
While in isolation, he observed a small town at its best: neighbors helping neighbors, the joys of gardening, the pleasure of a small boy riding his bike, and walks in the park with his dog Hugo. Childhood memories and stories of family life are intertwined, and what the reader gains is a sense of community, family, and belonging.
"I sat on my porch, and thought about how small my world had become," writes Greene. His world, and these stories, may be small, but they show us how the human capacity for love is grand, and how that love is greater than the ills that befall us.
In Notes from the Porch Greene's capacity for true storytelling is at its finest, and it's a great gift to us all.
My Review
Master storyteller Thomas Christopher Greene returns following The Perfect Liar with his latest, NOTES FROM THE PORCH —Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better About the World — a beautiful, thought-provoking, and witty short collection of life essays —written from the porch by the author during the pandemic, COVID.
“Covid-19 stole so much. But one of the things it couldn’t steal was the power of stories.”
Greene writes a delightful collection of short stories while sheltering in place from his Vermont home porch. While doing so, he observed life and everything around him from his front porch.
From the elderly, a neighborhood boy on a bike, and various other stories about his life as an author, book events (which were hilarious— John Grisham and Marley & Me—John Grogan), gardening, simple things, family, community, and life.
NOTES FROM THE PORCH is an example of the extraordinary power of storytelling! Reminding us that telling stories is one of our greatest powers—creating a sense of connection. A Chicken Soup for the Soul vibe.
Stories are powerful because they mirror our experience of moving through the world – how we think, plan, act, and find meaning in our thoughts, plans, and actions.
I loved the fun and charming short stories and reflections! Compelling, insightful, thought-provoking, heartwarming, exploring human nature, love, belonging, and joy that can be found amid darkness and life's challenges.
NOTES FROM THE PORCH is ideal for fans of the author, Elizabeth Berg, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Richard Paul Evans fans.
Thanks to Rootstock Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 20, 2024
Praise
"An ideal collection for reading by the fire on a cold night."
—Publishers Weekly
"David Sedaris meets Chicken Soup for the Soul!"
—Miciah Bay Gault, author of Goodnight Stranger
"A wonderful collection of heartfelt stories, each one a gem that speaks of the power of storytelling to find beauty in chaotic times."
—Claire Benedict, co-owner of Bear Pond Books
About the Author
Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan
THOMAS CHRISTOPHER GREENE is the author of several novels, including Mirror Lake; I'll Never Be Long Gone; Envious Moon; The Headmaster's Wife; and If I Forget You. His fiction has been translated into 13 languages and has won many awards and honors. In 2008, Tom founded Vermont College of Fine Arts, a top graduate fine arts college, making him the youngest college president in the country at that time. He lives and works in Vermont. READ MORE
