Hello Readers! Happy publishing day to the Amazon Original short story collection, A Point in Time. I was happy to be invited to read and review these seven original short stories from various well-known and award winning authors. All of the stories focus on “pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives”.
Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited members can read or listen to one or all of the stories for free, while non-members can purchase them. Each story touched on completely different moments in history with very different characters and circumstances, and I enjoyed each one, discovering something new with each tale.
Below you’ll find a short synopsis, an opening quote, my thoughts on the story, and information about the author!
Content Warning:
Many of these stories contain things that may be triggering. I’ll be happy to answer any questions if you need more information.
Naomi’s Gift by Martha Hall Kelly
Title: Naomi’s Gift
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 51
Synopsis:
A woman’s life-altering discovery after her mother’s death sheds light on the best and worst of humanity in this haunting short story by New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly.
After her mother’s passing, Aldona finds a tin filled with old letters from a prisoner at Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. Amid the descriptions of daily deprivations and humiliations at the camp, she uncovers the heart-wrenching story of a small circle of women who risked their lives to hide a baby girl from the guards. Aldona is rocked to the core by this record of courage and sisterhood during one of the grimmest chapters of human history.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Martha Hall Kelly is the only author I have read a previous book by in the A Point in Time collection of short stories, although I have several of the other authors waiting on my digital and physical shelves. I’ve read and enjoyed Lilac Girls by Kelly, so I knew the author’s talent for historical fiction, especially those set during WWII. While Naomi’s Gift is heartbreaking, it’s also inspiring.
“She wants to hold my hand at the end, so I let her.”
Martha Hall Kelly, Naomi’s Gift
From the first line, I found myself immersed in the story. Told primarily through a series of letters which make the story even more compelling, Kelly brings to life Ravensbrück and the atrocities that occurred at the only all-women’s concentration camp during World War II.
Memorable and haunting, inspired by real people and events, these are stories which should not be forgotten.
Ash Wednesday by Paula McLain
Title: Ash Wednesday
Author: Paula McLain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 33
Synopsis:
In this wrenching short story based on a real-life tragedy near Cleveland, Ohio, New York Times bestselling author Paula McLain reflects on one family’s perseverance in the face of the unthinkable.
On Ash Wednesday in 1908, Swiss German immigrant Fritz Hirter arrives at his children’s school, where he is the lone custodian. But soon after lessons start, a fast-moving fire breaks out—its cause is unknown, but its effects are horrifying. Although Fritz is soon cleared of any responsibility for the catastrophe, the community continues to suspect him, supremely testing Fritz and his family.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
While I’ve never read anything by Paula McLain, I do have a few of her novels waiting on my TBR, as well as owning Love and Ruin. Reading Ash Wednesday was a perfect way to be introduced to the author, and I found the story based on a real event harrowing and devastating, but also moving.
“Fritz ducks his chin into his woolen scarf as he walks the two blocks up Collamer Street toward the school, stuffing his hands with their pink chilblains deep into his pockets.”
Paula McLain, Ash Wednesday
The opening line successfully informs the reader of the biting cold our protagonist endures, setting the stage for the contrasting heat of the fire that he will battle soon enough. Beautifully written, McLain brought to life the events that lead to this tragedy, and the author’s note made it even more memorable.
Landing by Olivia Hawker
Title: Landing
Author: Olivia Hawker
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 30
Synopsis:
Doubt plagues a new marriage when a young NASA engineer focuses more on the Apollo 11 moon landing than his own future in this poignant short story by bestselling author Olivia Hawker.
Alan is able to imagine every way critical equipment might break during the launch and landing of Apollo 11. But his experience in preventing cosmic disasters does nothing to prepare him for the pressures of a hasty marriage to a woman he barely knows—or the strain of keeping up appearances amid the shifting social attitudes of the late ’60s. When a crisis at home forces Alan back to earth, he’s faced with a choice he doesn’t know how to make: whether to let go or move forward.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
I didn’t recognize this author’s name when I first started this story, but I was happy to discover I had one of her books, The Ragged Edge of Night, added to my TBR. I enjoyed this story set during the space race to the moon in the 1960s.
“Alan knew he’d gone and done it when he stumbled out of his car in the crowded parking lot of Saint Teresa’s and there was George Doherty, who would be Alan’s father-in-law a few hours from now, waiting for him in the glaring June sunlight.”
Olivia Hawker, Landing
With the opening lines, this story jumps right into the fray, and it was a nice change of pace to read a story that’s less dark even though it tackles some serious issues. It’s a story that looks at the space race from a different and unexpected angle, that of an Apollo 11 engineer and his rocky start to his new marriage that happens to occur within weeks of the famed moon landing. There was no author’s note at the end of this one, so I’m not sure if the main characters are historical, but I look forward to reading more from this author!
We Are Bone and Earth by Esi Edugyan
Title: We Are Bone and Earth
Author: Esi Edugyan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 33
Synopsis:
In this moving short tale of one girl’s search for her lost brother, award-winning author Esi Edugyan offers a vivid, unique perspective on a lesser-known corner of the West African slave trade.
At a fort in Cabo Vermelho in 1779, Sisi, a West African girl with a gift for languages, works as a translator for her English enslavers. She was separated from her younger brother after they were kidnapped from their village by the ahosi, fierce female warriors who serve a neighboring king—and her guilt over her failure to protect him has never left her. When unexpected news reaches the fort, Sisi must find her voice, for her brother’s sake and for her own.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
Esi Edugyan was a brand new author to me. With We Are Bone and Earth, she has given the reader a glimpse into a dark and tragic part of history that deserves more attention.
“In the early hours, the rooms still cold from the night wind off the water, a new caravan arrives at the fort. And though I hold no hope, though I tell myself it is a foolish labor, I know I will again search among the taken for my brother.”
Esi Edugyan, We Are Bone and Earth
From the first words, the reader feels Sisi’s determination to find the brother she was separated from. As her tale progresses, the reader learns how they came to be separated, the harrowing conditions Sisi witnesses, and her guilt for the less harrowing experience she has endured so far. Inspiring and heartbreaking, it’s beautifully done, and the author’s note made the story even more impactful.
A Wild Rose by Fiona Davis
Title: A Wild Rose
Author: Fiona Davis
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 32
Synopsis:
A troubled concert pianist searches for a new inspiration among the hidden back hallways of Carnegie Hall in bestselling author Fiona Davis’s bold short story of artistic ambition in 1950s New York.
World-renowned pianist Gloria Banderas is at the height of her career when a curious ailment forces her to cancel a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall. The same day, she befriends one of the many free-spirited artists inhabiting the warren of apartments above the theater. With her career and marriage at a standstill, Gloria moves into an empty studio and convalesces among the poets, photographers, and dancers who eke out a living with total dedication to their art. As a return to her old routine beckons, Gloria must decide which parts of her life are worth fighting for.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
While I haven’t read anything by Fiona Davis before this short story, I have several of her books on my TBR and own The Masterpiece. Reading A Wild Rose made me even more excited to pick it up. This fascinating peek into a piece of New York history at Carnegie Hall, brought to life through a compelling story, gave me a glimpse of what Davis can do.
“‘Do you know Camille Saint-Saëns’s The Dying Swan?’
Fiona Davis, A Wild Rose
Startled, Gloria Banderas looked up from the Steinway where she’d been grappling her way through Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto. A Middle-aged woman in a stretched-out, feathered tutu emerged from the wings of Carnegie Hall’s darkened stage.”
It’s a tale that wonderfully intertwines history and the emotional story of Gloria as she grapples with the loss of her ability to create. It’s through this loss that she begins to see some of the world around her and the people that make up that world.
Alison’s Conviction by Thomas Keneally
Title: Alison’s Conviction
Author: Thomas Keneally
Genre: Literary Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 34
Synopsis:
A young autistic woman finds her voice and a path toward justice in this uplifting short story about the power of family history by Thomas Keneally, award-winning author of Schindler’s List.
When Alison Strange receives a debt claim she can’t afford to pay from the Australian government’s unemployment office, she’s caught completely off-balance. As she wrestles with a slippery bureaucracy, her history-loving grandfather bolsters her resolve with the story of their ancestor John Strange, an English cobbler who was banished to Australia for his part in a political movement. Drawing inspiration from John’s life, Alison finds her own unique way to demand a future that’s fair for all.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
I’ve never read anything by Thomas Keneally, but I know of Schindler’s List and have seen the film, so I was excited to give him a try. I’m having a hard time reviewing this one, however, because so much of it went over my head. It contains a lot of Australian governmental terms that are completely new and foreign to this American, but the one thing I could appreciate was the wonderful relationship between Alison and her grandfather.
“Alison Strange was a clever girl of whom it was known by her mother, her grandfather, and her teachers that she could not face tests of knowledge.”
Thomas Keneally, Alison’s Conviction
Immediately the reader is informed that Alison is different from what’s expected, but we soon discover that she is indeed clever and persistent! I enjoyed getting to know this character and watching as she fought to navigate this overwhelming problem on her own terms while also learning more about her ancestors. Inspiring and endearing!
Mother’s Swamp by Jesmyn Ward
Title: Mother Swamp
Author: Jesmyn Ward
Genre: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Published On: July 28, 2022
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Source: digital
Pages: 21
Synopsis:
A fever dream of the past that ripples outward to the modern world, this powerful short story by two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward draws inspiration from the hidden communities built by people escaping slavery.
Afice is the last of nine generations of women who have survived enslavement, sickness, and hunger. Alone at age seventeen, she sets out through the Louisiana swamps to follow the trail of her ancestors and hear their songs anew. On this journey, Afice must decide how to honor her ancestors while embracing her own future.
Goodreads
Amazon
My thoughts
(Spoiler free)
I’ve been wanting to read something by Jesmyn Ward for a long time and Sing, Unburied, Sing is waiting on my shelf, so I was excited to finally be introduced to this enigmatic writer. I was impressed by how such a short story could be so well done.
“I watch the sky, night after night. Sometimes, I think I see my grandmother, and all the mothers before her, traveling the shatter of stars across the darkness, swimming along that great river of light.”
Jesmyn Ward, Mother’s Swamp
Imaginative while still based on history—which make the best kinds of stories—this tale about a matriarchal society that grew from escaped slaves is beautifully woven.
Thank you to Pitch Lit for providing me with early copies.
Have you read any of these? Will you be adding any to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Wandering!
I have not read these, but they sound powerful. Nice reviews for all of them.
That’s the perfect word for them. Powerful!
Great post Dedra. I have read something from 5 of these authors and enjoy their writing. I do have KU, so will be checking out these shorts. Thanks for introducing them to me with your great, quickie reviews.
Oh yay! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
I wonder if I should wait until November for Novella month? 🤔🤔