Rolling Up

by Michelle Buchanan

Rooted on the west coast of Canada, but reaching as far as London and Baghdad, these stories navigate the internal and external landscape of a diverse group of characters—island drifters, film industry mothers, an activist turned soldier, a soldier turned torturer, an adopted chef in quest of his cultural heritage, an anesthetist watching the slow demise of her relationship. Wrestling notions of identity and personal choice, the characters wend wayward, often humorous, paths through the cultural detritus of our times. In their struggle to make sense of the world, some find clarity.

127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 12, 2012

About the author

Please note, Misty Mornings is not my book. Michelle Buchanan has recently had an article published in Our Times Magazine about her mother's career entitled "Looking Back on a Lifetime at Sears". Her non-fiction writing has been published by The Globe & Mail, The Georgia Straight, GardenWise Magazine, Times Colonist, Eat Magazine, and other publications. She is the author and publisher of Rolling Up, a collection of short fiction. Her short story, “Chocolate Mousse” appeared in the spring/summer 2018 issue of Polar Borealis Magazine.

Reviews

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was available for a short time on Amazon's 100 top free book list. I downloaded it not realising it was a collection of short stories (completely my error as this was stated both on the description and the front page!). I'm not a fan of short stories as I read so very quickly I generally find them very unsatisfying, I prefer to get my teeth into a longer piece of writing. I was about 3/4 stories in before I actually realised I was reading a collection, at first I assumed I was reading a set of chapters which would join into a connected plot (again my error!,) but by then I was hooked. Michelle's stories are well written, the characters and plots were full bodied and the themes they explore live beyond the page.

[Allison Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed these short stories.

Michelle is a wonderful writer. I got to know so many characters and their rich stories.

I read this on vacation with a few other books including All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews and Between by Angie Abdou. The female characters of all of these books began to mix and meld in my thoughts and daydreams.

Wonderful book Michelle... I loved it.

[Amber Macgregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book of short stories that explores themes of independence and self discovery. Michelle Buchanan is a skilled writer adept at creating fictional atmospheres that resonate with true to life emotion.
I really enjoyed this collection.