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9th out of 9 books
—
5 voters
Mennonites Don't Dance
by
Darcie Friesen Hossack (Goodreads Author)
This vibrant collection of short fictions explores how families work, how they are torn apart, and, in spite of differences and struggles, brought back together. Darcie Friesen Hossack's stories in "Mennonites Don't Dance" offer an honest, detailed look into the experiences of children - both young and adult - and their parents and grandparents, exploring generational ties...more
Paperback, 201 pages
Published
September 21st 2010
by Thistledown Press
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The stories are fiction but oh so believable, and how they bring out the emotions behind each action, and help put back together some of my rural relationships, meaning I have greater understanding and empathy of and with people. Each story, each sentence really, grips me and I enjoy the ease with which the author flashes backward and forward in time. Here's an example from Penelope who goes back to her mother's house in Swift Current (Canada) for the first time since inheriting her mother's hou...more
This really deserves 3.5 stars - it's almost a 4. These stories are excellent - all interconnected in a way, some through characters, all through place and theme. They're beautifully edited and except for a few annoying typos (words repeated or not deleted in editing, not actual misspellings), they're gorgeous explorations of the difficulty we experience expressing and accepting love. When you finish a collection of short stories and immediately catch yourself thinking, 'what's she going to do d...more
I desperately wish that I hadn't had to read this book at the doctor's office. I was stuck at the doctor's for almost 2 hours and had been fasting since the night before. THis book was my solace, but I'm sure I missed some of the details in some of the stories due to my situation.
That said, there's a lot of good in this book. Wonderful description and some interesting characters. I found the stories to be very dark, and I liked how they revealed some of the darker sides of Mennonites. At first,...more
That said, there's a lot of good in this book. Wonderful description and some interesting characters. I found the stories to be very dark, and I liked how they revealed some of the darker sides of Mennonites. At first,...more
I didn't like this book very much, I didn't hate it either, but it was a collection of short stories that I couldn't get into.
The writing was well done, the author does do a good job at telling a short story, and creating a complex plot, with some detailed issues, but the stories failed to reach me as the reader. The setting, experiences were far different than what I've experienced, it was the authors chance to show the reader the lives of the Mennonites, who they are etc., but I didn't get th...more
The writing was well done, the author does do a good job at telling a short story, and creating a complex plot, with some detailed issues, but the stories failed to reach me as the reader. The setting, experiences were far different than what I've experienced, it was the authors chance to show the reader the lives of the Mennonites, who they are etc., but I didn't get th...more
The writing in "Mennonites Don't Dance" is engaging, and the book is, by and large, difficult to put down. I suspect it will also be difficult to forget. These are both good qualities in a book. I would have liked a little variety in the tone of the stories, however. While I don't mind "difficult" subject material, and do not shy away from it, I would have liked to have seen a different, less bleak tone, in one or two stories.
Hossack's voice is strong, however, and should not...can not be ignor...more
Hossack's voice is strong, however, and should not...can not be ignor...more
Short stories, the first offering from Darcie Friesen Hossack - and I will be eagerly awaiting her next book! While written by a Canadian Author, set mostly in the Canadian Prairies (Swift Current and Calgary dominate) and in the Mennonite culture, that is not what defines them. These stories tell of the universal experience of families, the realities of human interactions, and human emotions. Each one has a different flavour to it, and each one communicates all it needs to in the time it has.
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This collection of short stories has a base in the Mennonite community with all the main characters either living in a prairie Mennonite community, or coming from one. Some characters appear in more than one story, although in a subtle way.
Since I am half Mennonite myself, this book really appealed to me. I could relate to the culture and the values. Many of the themes here though go beyond any one culture and speak to family and how the attitudes and actions of our parents affect our lives into...more
Since I am half Mennonite myself, this book really appealed to me. I could relate to the culture and the values. Many of the themes here though go beyond any one culture and speak to family and how the attitudes and actions of our parents affect our lives into...more
Bought this while traveling in Canada. It is a collection of short stories which generally deal with family relationships. In some cases, the Mennonite community is part of the story, in other stories it is in the background. Regardless, the stories are universal and glimpse of Mennonite culture is a bonus. As might be expected of a collection, the stories are uneven, with some being more memorable than others.
An interesting short story collection. Not a happy, uplifting read, but very well done and thought provoking. Reminded me of the writings of Alice Munro.
Very interesting (and kind of dark) short stories about family life.
A very engaging collection of short stories and interesting characters. A quick read. I enjoyed how one of the characters came up briefly in another story, it was nice to know what happened to them! These were also my two favourite short stories.
A rather somber book......but beautifully written.
heartfelt tales of people like us, yet not like us, too
Though this was couched in terms of a Mennonite community, this will resonate with anyone who has grown up in a small town.
4.5 really - my favourite collection of short stories so far.
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