Our Love Could Light the World by Anne Leigh Parrish
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication Date: June 2013
Source: She Writes Press via TLC Book Tours
Description:
You know the Dugans. They’re that scrappy family that lives down the street. Their yard is overgrown, they don’t pick up after their dog, their five children run free – leaving chaos in their wake – and the father hasn’t earned a cent in years. The wife holds them together on her income alone. You wouldn’t want them for neighbors – but from a distance, they are quite entertaining.
Of course, alcohol is an issue. You can tell from the empty bottles lying under the bush out front. You can hardly blame the wife for leaving one day. Without her at the helm, the rest carry on the best they can.
Of course, alcohol is an issue. You can tell from the empty bottles lying under the bush out front. You can hardly blame the wife for leaving one day. Without her at the helm, the rest carry on the best they can.
My Thoughts:
Oh this family. This desperate, graceless, floundering, dysfunctional family. Parrish has done a magnificent job of creating a family that is as pitiful as they are lovable. No matter the ridiculous choices they make you’ll find yourself pulling for them. Hoping for them. Crossing your fingers that they get out of every mess they’ve made.
Parrish tells the story of the Dugan family in a unique series of linked short stories. I very much enjoyed the way she told this tale and I hated to say goodbye to the characters at the end.
The subjects in this book are not comfortable. You can almost smell the reek of booze lifting off the pages of Our Love Could Light The World. There’s lying and abuse. These people are broken. But they deserve our attention. Parrish has made sure of that.
This is a finely crafted story and I look forward to more from this author.
Anne Leigh Parrish’s debut story collection, All The Roads That Lead From Home, (Press 53, 2011) won the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards Silver Medal for best short story fiction. She lives in Seattle. To learn more, visit her at www.anneleighparrish.com
To see the other stops on this tour please visit TLC Book Tours
The Relentless Reader 
I think every neighborhood we've ever lived in has had a family like that.
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Oh yes, same here. That is why this story rang so true for me. 🙂
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What a great book review! Do you have a Kindle? If you do, I would love to gift a copy of my book, Welcome to Singles Night to you for reviews. Please let me know if you are interested!
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Whoops! I forgot to tell you I was visiting from SITS! Hope you find time to return the visit!
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Oooooh, this sounds good. I love my people all broken and stuff. And families that I can root for even when they're a hot mess? Even better!
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Shoot me an email Eva 🙂 Therelentlessreader@gmail.com
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I didn't know I was on that site, ha ha. Or did I? My memory is awful!
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Oh yea, a hot mess is an understatement! 😉
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Your review reminds me of something Shonda Rhimes would write! The Duggan family sounds like MY family! I love to root for those underdogs! (PS – I am about to send you an email, cool?)
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Your review (and the premise) makes me want to pick up this book ASAP!!!
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Sounds GREAT! Thanks
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I looooove a short story cycle! Piecing it all together through various stories is my fave thing.
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Yes to short stories and piecing it all together! Sounds crazy and good 🙂
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I'm with Andi and hmsgofita… love short, interlocked stories!
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Oh yes, you have to root for the underdogs! I'll check my email 🙂
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I hope you do! It's well worth your time.
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You're very welcome!
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Yes! And this is done so well. You get just enough of each character.
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Crazy and good! I could have used just those two words to review this!
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I do too and I don't run into enough of them 🙂
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I'm just going to be a ditto, here. I love short stories that are interconnected, also. You've made this book sound too good to pass up. Excellent review!
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Oh, also . . . Have you read You Know When the Men are Gone by Siobhan Fallon? One of my favorites. I kinda wish I hadn't passed it on to a friend; I'd love to reread it.
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Thanks so much 🙂 I haven't read that Fallon but I'm off to look it up!
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I really like the sound of this collection of short stories. I remember a similar family living in one of my childhood neighborhoods. And you're right — you're always hoping that one day they'll get it right!
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Right?? You're always crossing your fingers that they will catch a break or two!
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I definitely want to get to know this family!Thanks for being on the tour.
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You really do 🙂 You're welcome, once again it was my pleasure!
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Oh there are people like that, and we need to learn more about them, I guess! 🙂
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Oh yes, I agree! This was a good book filled with great characters!
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Wow, this sounds fantastic. I like emotional stories that pull at your heartstrings and make you root for people like that.
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Then you would really like this one 🙂
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