Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT #shortstories Donkey Boy & Other Stories by @marysmithwriter

Today’s team review is from Judith B, she blogs here http://judithbarrowblog.com/

Judith has been reading Donkey Boy and Other Stories by Mary Smith

This is a fascinating collection of short stories, set in various places with a wealth of diverse characters, all wonderfully rounded. The author has a talent for setting the scene and giving a sense of place with few well-chosen words.

I read each of these unusual stories slowly, taking in the way each situation unfolded, savouring the reactions of the characters to each problem they faced, enjoying the touches of humour, poignancy, empathising with the great sadness in some of the tales.

Not sure I had an overall favourite, they are all easy to read, but these are the ones that stayed with me long after I’d read them:

The story in the title, Donkey Boy. The protagonist, Ali, should be in school but instead drives a donkey cart for his father. His resentment is palpable from the very start. The dilemma he faces exposes the way different cultures live;  not only their values and ethics but the differences in the child and adult in these societies.  This is well deserving as the title story.

Trouble with Socks. Set in a care home with the character George; patronised by one of the carers who really is in the wrong job.

Accidents Happen. Set in Pakistan; the story of a young girl with a step father she detests.

Asylum Seekers. One of the monologues (I did like this way of writing/reading a short story). Though ironic, this reveals unpleasant bigotry and prejudice,

There is a whole gamut of human emotions in Donkey Boy and Other Stories and I thoroughly recommend this collection by Mary Smith to any reader. Whatever your favourite genre you’ll be sure to find one that will linger with you long afterwards.

Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse.

Mary Smith has always loved writing. As a child she wrote stories in homemade books made from wallpaper trimmings – but she never thought people could grow up and become real writers. She spent a year working in a bank, which she hated – all numbers, very few words – ten years with Oxfam in the UK, followed by ten years working in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She wanted others to share her amazing, life-changing experiences so she wrote about them – fiction, non-fiction, poetry and journalism. And she discovered the little girl who wrote stories had become a real writer after all.
Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women is an account of her time in Afghanistan and her debut novel No More Mulberries is also set in Afghanistan.

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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #Shortstories Donkey Boy and other stories by @marysmithwriter

Today’s team review is from Robbie, she blogs here https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Robbie has been reading Donkey Boy and other stories by Mary Smith

Mary Smith’s collection of short stories are a real treat. Each story deals with a complex set of circumstances that invoke a strong emotional reaction from the main character. Each character is well depicted and their reactions to the situations in which they find themselves provide a lot of food for thought for the reader. I found myself dwelling on each story and reflecting on how I thought I would react in a similar situation.

My three favourite stories in this collection are as follows:

Donkey Boy, an intriguing tale about a young boy, living in very poor circumstances, who is condemned to a life of hard physical work and poverty due to his father’s decision to end his formal education and have his son work for him in his small timber mill. The boy is resentful of his perceived harsh treatment at the hands of his father as well as his father’s decision to take him out of school. The boy performs a service for a wealthy foreigner and she tips him generally. The boy now needs to decide what to do with this unexpected money.

Asylum Seekers, a very interesting story that is told in the style of a conversation in which the speaker debates the issue of asylum seekers. The speaker’s thought process is erratic and sprinkled with bigotry and her thoughts go round and round about her perception of the intentions and attitudes of the asylum seekers and their impact on her world. I found it fascinating to read the confusion of the speaker’s thoughts and her almost contradictory ideas. I thought this story was the most thought provoking and realistic presentation of this sensitive topic I have ever read.

Miss Biffin leaves the Circus provides a peek into the life of a person who is severely physically disabled and her life as an entertainer in a circus. Miss Biffin is treated as a freak by her cruel employer who is actually her jailor. Miss Biffin shows a lot of spirit in standing up to him and fighting for a better life. Opportunity suddenly presents itself in the form of a young man looking for employment at the circus. Will Miss Biffin be able to take advantage of this unexpected turn of events or will her captor prevail?

My rating for this book is five out of five stars.

Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse.

Mary Smith has always loved writing. As a child she wrote stories in homemade books made from wallpaper trimmings – but she never thought people could grow up and become real writers. She spent a year working in a bank, which she hated – all numbers, very few words – ten years with Oxfam in the UK, followed by ten years working in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She wanted others to share her amazing, life-changing experiences so she wrote about them – fiction, non-fiction, poetry and journalism. And she discovered the little girl who wrote stories had become a real writer after all.
Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women is an account of her time in Afghanistan and her debut novel No More Mulberries is also set in Afghanistan.

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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #Shortstories Donkey Boy by @marysmithwriter #fridayreads

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs here http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading Donkey Boy and Other Stories by Mary Smith

4 out of 5 stars

This is an interesting and diverse collection of stories, set in several locations, from Scotland to Pakistan, where the author lived for a while.  Some of them were written as monologues, which have been performed.

I liked those set in Pakistan best, my very favourite being Accidents Happen, about a girl whose mother marries a man she hates.  I liked it so much I read it again, straight away.  I also liked Donkey Boy itself, about a little boy who has to work for his father instead of going to school, and Trouble with Socks, about the sort of ghastly, patronising auxiliary in a care home who thinks that physically disabled means mentally deficient.  The last one, a longer story called The Thing In Your Eye, was interesting.  A woman believes she sees evil in people in their eyes; this left me a little unsure, as I didn’t know if we were meant to think it was all in her mind (as everyone else does), or if she really could ‘read’ people.

They’re all unusual, with a theme of private sadness.  I liked a very short one called My Name is Anya, too, about an Afghani girl adopted by Scottish parents.  They’re ideal for a nice bit of lying on the sofa, afternoon reading when you’re not in the mood for complicated plots.

Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse.

Mary Smith has always loved writing. As a child she wrote stories in homemade books made from wallpaper trimmings – but she never thought people could grow up and become real writers. She spent a year working in a bank, which she hated – all numbers, very few words – ten years with Oxfam in the UK, followed by ten years working in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She wanted others to share her amazing, life-changing experiences so she wrote about them – fiction, non-fiction, poetry and journalism. And she discovered the little girl who wrote stories had become a real writer after all.
Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women is an account of her time in Afghanistan and her debut novel No More Mulberries is also set in Afghanistan.

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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT Short stories Donkey Boy by @marysmithwriter

Today’s team review is from Liz, she blogs here https://lizannelloyd.wordpress.com/

Liz has been reading Donkey Boy by Mary Smith

Donkey Boy and other stories is a pot-pourri of tales that could accompany you on a journey to pick up and read in instalments, or you might find, like me, that you end up reading one story after another, late into the night.

Each tale introduces a character, either from home or abroad, with whom the reader can empathise.  Their concerns may be amusing or distressing but they all concern human nature, good and bad.

I was particularly taken by two stories which have been performed; Trouble with Socks and Asylum Seekers.  The latter, an ironic monologue of prejudice, pertinent to the world we live in today and Trouble with Socks expressing the feelings of the delightful George who is patronised by a “caring” auxiliary.  The last story The Thing in Your Eye was a surprise and I am still unsure of my response.  I think I need to reread it.

There is great sadness in some of the early tales but also determination to walk away from grief, but for me Donkey Boy, about Ali, who drives a donkey cart for his father, deserves its place as the title story.  It shows the contrast between different values; in the first and third world, between men and women and between youthful hope and cynicism.  These stories are easy to read quickly, but they stay in your mind to mull over for some time.

Shot through with flashes of humour the stories here will entertain, amuse, and make you think. Mary Smith’s debut collection of short stories is a real treat, introducing the reader to a diverse range of characters in a wide range of locations. A donkey boy in Pakistan dreams of buying luxuries for his mother; a mouth artist in rural Scotland longs to leave the circus; a visually impaired man has a problem with his socks; and a woman tries to come to terms with a frightening gift – or curse.

Mary Smith has always loved writing. As a child she wrote stories in homemade books made from wallpaper trimmings – but she never thought people could grow up and become real writers. She spent a year working in a bank, which she hated – all numbers, very few words – ten years with Oxfam in the UK, followed by ten years working in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She wanted others to share her amazing, life-changing experiences so she wrote about them – fiction, non-fiction, poetry and journalism. And she discovered the little girl who wrote stories had become a real writer after all.
Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women is an account of her time in Afghanistan and her debut novel No More Mulberries is also set in Afghanistan.

Goodreads | AmazonUk | AmazonUS | Twitter