Our Love Could Light the World by Anne Leigh Parrish

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 31 Comments
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. 

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

Halfway Under the Dome

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 49 Comments
Check out the details here. Thanks to Natalie for hosting!
I’m at the halfway mark in Under the Dome. (55% to be precise) What’s that? You’d like to know what I think of it so far? You’re in luck. I’m going to blab about that right now!
I’m a sweet little woodchuck, innocently frolicking in my sweet little woodchuck way.  NOT FOR LONG SUCKA!
It’s been many moons since I read a big chunky book by King. I’m having a blast sinking back into his style. It feels like coming home. I read a lot of Uncle Stevie in my formative years so reading him again has me feeling nostalgic. 
What is this dome thingy? Why can’t we leave town?  Confusion!

Like many classic King novels this is set in a small town peopled by interesting characters. The Dome goes down and people start showing their true colors. The good guys are awesome, the bad guys are despicable. Just what you’d expect from King.

I’m Big Jim and I RUN THIS TOWN.
(Yes, this is what I picture during Big Jim scenes)

If I were coming to this as a Stephen King virgin I might not like it very much. The language is simple and the characters aren’t exactly fleshed out. The snob in me says that maybe I should be above this sort of book now. But, I’M NOT! I want to know what’s going to happen next. And that, ladies and gents, says it all.

(There’s a mention of Lord of the Flies. I think that ups the literary cred.)

Also? It’s funny. Even a bit wise.

“…if you were seeing a lot of horseshit, there had to be a pony in the vicinity.”

“Sexy May had met Erudite November, and now they were stuck with each other, refugees in the New England version of No Exit.”

“Give a man or woman back his self-respect, and in most cases-not all, but most- you also give back that person’s ability to think with at least some clarity.”

To sum it up, I’m having a good time with this book and I’m looking forward to the 2nd half.

Are you reading along? What do you think so far?