📚’Beautifully written and insightful’. Robbie reviews #FlashFiction The Shadows We Breathe (Vol 2) by @SarahBrentyn for Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT

Today’s team review is from Robbie.

Robbie blogs here https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Rosie’s Book Review Team

Robbie has been reading The Shadows We Breathe by Sarah Brentyn.

I really enjoyed this collection of beautifully written and insightful 500-word short stories, 50-word micro fiction and 10-word microbursts from eight talented writers. The theme of this collection is health and each author has given this central theme her own unique interpretation.

It was interesting to me that many of the stories had female protagonists who had suffered, or continued to suffer, at the hands of another person who had power of them. The abuse suffered by the protagonists had a significant impact on either their physical or mental health. It made me ponder whether equality for women really exists at all, anywhere in the world. In the stories where women did have the upper hand it was a result of circumstances created by another or through nefarious means. It would be interesting to see what sorts of stories men created for the same theme. There is a lot to be said for a book that can make the reader think this deeply about its theme.

All the stories are powerful, well written and have good twists so I can’t chose a favourite from among them. Instead, I’m going to share a few quotes that stood out for me.

“There used to be a filter, I think, like a soft-serve ice cream machine where nice and nasty each had their side or blended together in a high-pile twist.” from Thoughts by Sarah Brentyn.

“Carl had sold their old Dodge in Wichita, and they had nothing more to cough up but their guts. Shari’s life collapsed under the weight of their debt.” from The Well by D. Wallace Peach.

“I found you in the grey pre-light of dawn, a brooding figure strangely suspended in the shadows, still as stone. Floating, ghost-line. But not serene.” from Suspended by Ali Isaacs.

“Dad’s text messages gave nothing away, but when she phoned, Mum’s voice always betrayed his steady deterioration.” from Barbed Wire in the Palm of My Hand by Ruth Daly.

The micro fiction and microbursts are equally entertaining, and each tells a complete stories despite its short length.

Book description:

WE ARE ALL PART SHADOW

Life promises joy and sorrow. Alongside the light, there will always be traces of darkness. It is the nature of being human.

In this anthology of short fiction, we explore health—how the state of our bodies and minds nurtures us, damages us, and forms our reality.

Eight artists, whose words paint worlds, bring you stories of pain, confusion, acceptance, and courage. They reveal the conflicting and contrasting nature of health.

Whether mental or physical, our state of being can create chaos or bring us peace.

Within these pages, beautiful words are spun into tales threaded with darkness.

Discover the shadows we breathe.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS