"One thing about people—they need to tell stories. They can't stop themselves. Stories all the time. That's how they understand things." So said Coyote to Andrea, shortly after she died. Andrea had never believed in any kind of afterlife or gods, so she was surprised to find herself still somewhat alive, floating in the form of a ghost in the soft, dry desert air of Nevada. She was even more surprised to meet a supernatural being with a coyote's face, antlers, and the supplies for making coffee. “I don't understand why I'm a ghost," she told the coyote spirit. "I don't understand if there is a god or not. Is there a god?” The coyote just looked at her and didn't answer. Stubbornly, Andrea forged ahead, “Because I never believed in one but here I am, a ghost sitting with a supernatural being.” Coyote set his coffee cup down on the dirt beside his rock. He glanced at Andrea, grimaced, and said, “Okay, I'll try to explain. Since you humans like stories, I'll try to explain that way. I'll tell you some stories.” So come along with Coyote and Andrea as they share stories about life and death, spiders in the bathroom and how Andrea lost her bra at a truck stop, enemy gods and pottery shards, adventures in vomit, what scientists say about dark matter and the fifth force, and other topics both sublime and ridiculous.
I live on a island in the Puget Sound with my husband and my dogs. I am a retired teacher, presently doing in -home care for disabled people while volunteering at a dog rescue
My degree is in art, and I am a painter, graphic artist, and ceramic sculptor. The writing started about five years ago, a surprise to me and everyone who knows me, since I had never written anything before.
Beautifully descriptive, thought-provoking, and a little bizarre
Andrea commits suicide to avoid a slow death from cancer, but to her surprise she comes back as a ghost. She meets Coyote, a ‘spirit’ who smokes, drinks a lot of coffee, and has access to a cell phone. The two exchange stories, with Andrea doing most of the story telling.
The stories are beautifully written, full of descriptive imagery; some of them are a little random. My favourite was the one about rescuing the dog from the ‘witch’ in the trailer. Some of the stories include references to drug taking, and there is a pattering of bad language in the novella. Throughout the read, there are underlying philosophical themes, around our existence, the existence of God, and quite a lot (at times heavy) coverage of climate change. The story is also, in places, quite dark.
Overall, a very unique and well-written book, which I think will appeal to those who enjoy thought-provoking reads. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
4.5 Stars Encounters With Old Coyote is a collection of 13 short stories of two wandering spirits. Laura is an emotive writer with different and eclectic genres making each book from her a surprise. This unique tale is a blend of paranormal elements and magical realism. I was completely immersed in the writing, and I found myself easily entrenched in the world in which had been created. With its intricate layers and deftly woven threads throughout each tale was easy to read and had seamless ebbs and flows. Laura is a gifted storyteller, and her stories are easily imagined and brought to life by her rich tones and vivid cinematic narrative. Coyote is back sharing his knowledge and imparting his stories with other spirit-beings under the beautiful stars of the Nevada desert. Grab a cuppa or a wine and relax whilst enjoying Coyote and Andrea’s tales. This book is well worth read.
Mankind has long searched for what comes after death. And as death comes for us all, death too comes for Andrea in Laura Koerber’s latest novel, ‘Encounters With Old Coyote’. Meeting Coyote who lives in the spirit realm, she realizes that not only is there indeed more, but that ‘more’ is not quite what she expected. In the place beyond it would seem that there are questions of what is beyond the beyond, and the purpose of existence and life’s still remain somewhat unseen. Through the colorful world created by the author, this thoughtful and often whimsical journey of imagination left me searching for God more than ever before. This was a delight to read!
What a delightful surprise on an otherwise horrible day. Amazon sent me a message that Laura Koerber had a new book and was I interested? You bet! I love her quirky writing style that manages to sneak in some serious social commentary along the way. She's done it again. This is Coyote the Trickster 2.0. He uses a cell phone to check Wikipedia and discusses particle colliders. What I didn't expect was the truly beautiful ending. This was the book I needed today and I'm grateful for it.
This book was not one that I enjoyed. However, please do not go off my review alone as there are many who appreciated this much more than I did.
In this story, Andrea is suffering with cancer and she decides that she is going to take fate into her own hands and die on her terms. She soon learns that she's only "half-dead" though and, in her ghost form, meets a coyote who embodies antlers like a deer and can make and drink coffee. Together, they share several stories about life and death in general.
I had a hard time staying interested in this story and I'm not really sure why. I enjoy supernatural reads so it wasn't that aspect of it. However, I can't really put my finger on it.
Give this one a chance if you enjoy quirky supernatural reads!
I saw this beautifully covered book and decided to dive in and I just loved this journey. The story was very well written , unique, intriguing and it made me think of some "what ifs". This story of Andrea, whom recently passed, questions what is next....she meets Coyote and short stories of her past come to light as Coyote wants to hear. Andrea has questions of the afterlife and wants answers...but Coyote does not have answers for her. As stories are shared, the journey continues and Andrea also meets other spirits as well...what does happen after you are gone....
I highly recommend this book, it is truly a wonderful read.
Here are thirteen short stories or episodes with the same main character, the ghost of a recently deceased 70-something-year-old college professor named Andrea. Her chosen location in which to die is a spot in the Nevada desert, under the stars. Soon after the death of Andrea's body, a spirit called Coyote turns up. Andrea asks him fundamental questions, like is there a god, but Coyote mostly shrugs them off. As Andrea becomes accustomed to her new status, the two wander around and tell each other stories.
That's the theme of this book—stories and their place in human life. Andrea's stories revisit episodes in her life. Many involve exploring remote places such as the Klondike River valley and the canyons of the desert Southwest, getting "drunk on beauty," having what Andrea calls "eyeball orgasms." And the descriptions of these places are indeed gorgeous: "Long blue and purple shadows lay across the red gold desert. To the west, mountains lit by the setting sun shone with blue light. To the east, the mountains had darkened to ultramarine."
Other stories include a childhood memory of camping near a strange town in Arkansas, a dream of telepathic cows, rescuing a spider even though she's an arachnophobe, and stealing an abused dog. All this reveals Andrea's environmental consciousness and her love of nature and animals. She is disappointed that Coyote isn't very spiritual, which introduces a certain wry humour.
I found Andrea a sympathetic character, possibly because I share some attitudes and ideas with her. Coyote has something of an antagonist role, as a kind of agent provocateur for storytelling.
The final two stories introduce three other spirits. The last chapter is both ambiguous and satisfying. This is a slight book, but the combination of the offbeat and poignant make it a memorable one.
The author points out at the beginning of the book that the stories and the Coyote character, although inspired by Native American folklore, are her own creations.
Thought provoking with some humor. Having read other works by the creative Laura Koerber I found Coyote to be more relatable personally in this work. He has evolved and now sees that change is necessary and important to continue growing. In his full supernatural form, he comes across Andrea. Andrea’s life didn’t prepare her for an afterlife. She thought that when you die you just go into oblivion, when she finds out she has cancer and decides to go on her terms looking at the stars she gets the biggest surprise of her existence. While her mortal life has ended, she is not truly gone, now as a ghost she is confused about what happens next and what the purpose of her existence is. While unable to enjoy the delicious coffee that Coyote makes, they sit and tell stories to each other. As Coyote says humans tell stories, that’s how they understand things. Story after story Andrea picks up on different aspects of how life was and how the world has changed through history. Though she feels that for a spirit Coyote doesn’t seem to truly care about the destruction of Earth, feeling that he sees everything as another episode in a very long existence. Will Coyote succeed in helping Andrea understand why she is a ghost? What happens next for Andrea? The world the author creates pulls you in the stories wrapping around you both the good and the bad to fully submerge you into the world she has created. The characters are both relatable and unrelatable as everyone has their own beliefs. Still the easy flow of one story into the next was perfect in shifting the narrative from story to story. The stories were also perfect to fit into my day in every little moment I had free until I realized it was over having learned many new stories. This book made me laugh, eye roll, and ponder every step of the way. I can’t wait to see where Coyote will appear next.
Encounters of Old Coyote by Laura Koerber is a unique and thought-provoking novel that explores the nature of life, death, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. The story follows Andrea, a skeptic who finds herself as a ghost in the desert after her death. Confused and seeking answers about the existence of God, Andrea encounters a supernatural being in the form of a coyote.
Koerber's writing style is engaging and conversational, allowing readers to easily connect with the characters and their experiences. The dynamic between Andrea and Coyote is particularly captivating, as they engage in discussions about spirituality, existence, and the role of storytelling.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the book is the way it weaves together different stories and anecdotes. Andrea and Coyote share tales about mundane experiences, such as finding spiders in the bathroom or losing a bra at a truck stop, as well as more profound subjects like dark matter and the fifth force. These stories serve a dual purpose, not only entertaining readers but also conveying deeper messages about life's mysteries and the human experience.
The novel also touches upon themes of interconnectedness and the ways in which seemingly unrelated events can be linked. Through Andrea's encounters with Coyote, she begins to understand that everything is connected in some way, and that stories are an essential tool for humans to make sense of the world around them.
While the book explores weighty topics, it maintains a light and humorous tone throughout (loved the line about ghosts being mostly cows or horses or pigs that have "fucked up" lives- coyote doesn't think happy animals would become ghosts!). I would recommend reading it!
It is hard to classify ‘Encounters with Old Coyote’. It appears to be fiction, but at times reads like a thoughtful memoir and occasionally resembles a spectacular travel log. What it is, if nothing else, is beautifully written. Sometimes in third person narrative, other times in first person PoV, it is a story about the ghost of a recently deceased elderly woman, who took her life rather than being ravaged by lymphoma and a slow painful decline. Andrea terminates her life under the stars in a Nevada desert in one of the places brimming with nature that she repeatedly enjoyed visiting during her lifetime. After death, Andrea finds herself in another dimension, looking down at her dead body, wondering about her new state. The following day, she is approached by a coyote-like spirit, that encourages her to tell stories about her past, to allow her to understand the meaning of life and her current situation. Filled with humor, philosophical reflection, and colorful imagery, the storytelling brings the reader to wondrous places and prompts them to think about what is and what could be. Some ranting about humans destroying our planet with fossil-fuel-burning climate change is offset by fantastical descriptions of some of the most stunning scenery across North America. From tundra to mountain ranges to deserts, through Andrea’s recollections, Laura Koerber paints vivid scenescapes with words that only accomplished authors can muster. It is a short work, perhaps a novelette, but it is a must-read story that will touch your heart.
Andrea is a woman at the end of her days, she has been an atheist all her life, however, when she dies, she is astounded to find that she becomes a ghost! She is even more confused after spending the night alone and desperately seeking answers to meet a being with the body of a man, the face of a coyote and antlers, especially when he begins to make coffee and introduces himself as Coyote.
Andrea immediately starts asking questions about God, the afterlife and why she is still there, however, the Coyote isn't as forthcoming with the information she wants, but what he does do is share a story and that is where this story really begins. Andrea and Coyote begin a journey where they share stories from their lifetimes and these range from youthful adventures involving indulgence and vomit, to observations of the world including spiders in showers, losing a bra in a truck stop and the existential questions of existence.
In this story, filled with stories you will be inspired to think of your life and what you will leave behind, as well as the stories you will tell in the future, but most of all, it will make you think about what you can do to create more stories in the future, as you make your way through a gentle, yet thought provoking journey of reflection.
This was a wonderful story of a woman's life, and her search for the meaning of the world beyond. Andrea was a successful woman who loved to write and tell stories and was ready to leave this life behind after being told she had a short time left to live. After much planning and preparation, she travels to a place she deeply connects with and slips away while under the stars. Andrea has an out of body experience, realizing that she is now a ghost floating above her body, unsure what comes next. She comes upon a coyote, who she questions about all of the topics that have been weighing on her mind, but instead of giving her direct answers, as spiritual coyotes, tricksters, are well known to do, he tells her a story. Throughout the story we are told multiple stories, mostly by Andrea, who has a talent for recounting tales and stories. In the end the coyote tells a powerful tale to Andrea and a small group of friends while around a campfire, with Andrea snuggled into her sleeping bag, under the stars. This story was so beautifully written, and has such an impactful influence about it, with deeper meaning. I really enjoyed the telling of the tales between the two companions. @Brandy Rymer 12/2023
Andrea was a skeptic about many things in her life - and now, after making her decision of dying underneath the beauty of the Nevada desert sky, she finds herself unsure of how she even ended up back here after her physical body died. Here, among other things, she is surprised to find herself in the company of Old Coyote - a supernatural being with a coyote face and antlers. And he also brought coffee!
Since Andrea never believed in anything like the afterlife, she takes the opportunity to ask the big questions we ponder, like is there a god. Coyote doesn't answer her outright, but as they begin to wander and tell stories of life, maybe she really IS able to discover the answers to some of her burning questions. The stories they share with one another tell much more than what they have to say - as they speak of life, love, bras at gas stations, environmental consciousness, "eyeball orgasms", absolutely stunning visuals, Coyote gently leading Andrea to the answers she seeks, and more. All 13 stories weave an absolutely beautiful tale of the meaning of things. The end was intensely satisfying. I am totally entranced by this book.
Encounters With Old Coyote is a collection of thirteen short stories featuring Old Coyote that was first introduced in previous books written by this talented author. It has emotion, loss, grief, hope, paranormal elements, magical realism, shapeshifters, and spirits. The story centers around the character of Andrea who found out she had cancer, so she decided to end her life on her own terms and in a location of her choosing. To her surprise, she discovers that she is caught in the afterlife as a spirit and finds herself questioning all she has ever known. As an atheist, Andrea never believed in the existence of God but now she is full of questions about whether God actually exists. She runs into Old Coyote who is in his spirit form and the two begin to talk. She asks him questions about life and death and the existence of God. Old Coyote and Andrea wander and share stories and memories from their past. The scenes were vivid, beautifully written, and pull you into the story. The character of Andrea is one that I felt instantly drawn to and empathised with. This was a poignant and thought provoking read.
Andrea found out she was dying of cancer and decided to die on her own terms so off she went into the Nevada desert and under the stars. Being an Atheist she expects nothing to happen after death, just gone forever, so when she wakes up as a ghost, Andrea is shocked.
After a bit, a wandering spirit with the face of a coyote and antlers stopped in front of her and asked if he can use her fire to make himself a coffee. From there starts a weird kinship between the two. Andrea starts to question everything, most in the spiritual aspect. While Coyote seems to be there to make her transition easier, letting her tell him all about her life. Stories from her childhood all the way into her seventies.
I tend to not like the slice of life genre but I really enjoy this author’s writing style. They always implement things from a supernatural element which interests me. I think the author does a really good job in describing their world and their characters.
Encounters With Old Coyote by Laura Koerber. This is a wonderful collection of 13 short stories or episodes with the same main character. She's a 70 year old professor named Andrea or actually Andrea's ghost. Andrea decides she wants to die in the Nevada desert under the starts. That is the story that begins it all. She also sees a spirit called Coyote and he wants to hear stories of Andrea's life. The other stories are those...one being a camping trip to Arkansas (which was one of my favs, because I live in Arkansas), stealing a dog and stories of getting drunk on beauty. Andrea keeps asking Coyote about the afterlife and he keeps avoiding it at all costs. Such a different book that I was not expecting. In the final story we meet other spirits and they set the closing of the book. I was very surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did! Do yourself a favor and read this interesting and thought provoking book!
This was definitely an interesting read. Having grown up in an indigenous community on a reservation, I grew up hearing all about Coyote and his tricks. This was an interesting and enjoyable take on that character. Andrea wasn't a spiritual person while alive and it seems to have carried over into the afterlife. However, through the stories she tells to Coyote she was actually a fairly spiritual person as she preserves the life of a spider (if we're being honest a good chunk of us would either squish it or run and stay up half the night wondering whether it was in bed with us, haha) and she has a great appreciation for, or is at least is in tune with, nature. Even though it was a short book it was enjoyable to read these mini stories and learn more about what the main character was like while alive. If you want a different take on Coyote, outside of being the trickster, I suggest giving this book a try.
I loved this book. Andrea discovers that she is a ghost, alone in the vast desert, with no spiritual or religious beliefs and no direction. When she meets Coyote, she's unsure what to make of him. Is he a god, or another ghost? Coyote is no source of spiritual guidance in that regard. But Coyote does enjoy swapping stories. Andrea finds Coyote something of a tough audience however and digs deeper to find cameos from her life to impress him. The stories she narrates are distinctive and give the reader insight into Andrea's world as much as her character. Coyote, as a trickster spirit, is not there to delude, but to challenge, and Andrea finds the guidance she needs to complete her journey. I loved the originality and empathy in this story. It's always subtle, never shouted at the reader. There's gentle humour and vivid beauty here. Read it. 4.5 stars from me.
...and wakes up to find herself a ghost, which she considers especially strange and frustrating as she considers herself to be an Atheist. Shortly afterward, the entity known as Coyote, the trickster figure from Native American Mythology arrives, and the two exchange stories. In the MC’s case, these are mundane anecdotes – losing her bra near the arctic circle, hiking national parks, and stealing an abused dog, among others. What these stories reveal, though, is that while the MC considers herself an Atheist, she always had a strong, though discounted spiritual side.
My main gripe with this story is Coyote. He recounts just a couple of his own tales, one at the beginning, and one at the end, and is otherwise so noncommittal he might as well not be there.
Ghosts are a common recurrence in Coyote’s world, and Andrea is the new girl in ‘Ghost Town’. It’s not easy to define a ghost, but we can settle for a loose collection of something ethereal, fluid and unstable. So are the stories in this book. The only thing making them more than a loose collection is the author writing style. She knows how to write.
Comparing to the previous novel, the millennia old spirit, Coyote, shows some signs of evolution; he seems now aware that change is part of history and nature, and that nature goes in cycles, in a capricious way.
It’s difficult to describe Andrea; she remains only a ‘collection’ of stories, which seem to be told for Coyote’s advantage, that thing about his own evolution. She is also a little too ‘political’ in a way that runs mostly on a one-way highway. Some of her ideas may attract some readers and discourage others.
Encounters With Old Coyote Tough to rate in a good way. Encounters With Old Coyote seems to be a collection of short stories, but there is so much more. "One thing about people—they need to tell stories.” Old Coyote says at the beginning. So Andrea tells him stories of her life and of how she ended up committing suicide. The theme of these stories the feeling you get while communing with nature. I love that feeling, but I would never think it would translate to writing. But in this book it did. While reading this I did get that peaceful feeling of being one with nature. I'm going to give this a five star because I've read a lot of short stories and books that attempted this but never quite pulled it off. And this book did it. While it did that, it also got deeper into philosophy and scientific dark topics, in clear cut language. So bonus points.
The newly deceased Andrea dies and doesn't know what to do with herself. As a skeptic about any afterlife, she's quite disoriented to find herself as a ghost. She meets Coyote, hoping he can guide her, but he doesn't have any solid answers, either ... or does he?
The story is a charming character study portrayed through recollection of seemingly insignificant events in Andrea's life as she transitions to her new existence. We learn of a woman with enormous reverence for nature, a reverence and respect that aids her transition. I found myself envying all the travels she had and things she's seen. My only criticism is that I found the the environmental message to be a bit heavy-handed. Otherwise, this story was a very engaging character study that I rather enjoyed.
This was quite the interesting book. I love this author’s writing. It always leaves you thinking. This book leaves you wondering after reading these conversations between Old Coyote and Andrea. Andrea is a college professor that took her life in the Arizona desert. She and Coyote end up having some intriguing conversations about life and death, and some of the adventures Andrea had during her life. I found it thought provoking, interesting, sensitive, and even entertaining. This author has always written about Coyote in ways that tend to make you question and maybe even want to know more about Indigenous people and their culture. It’s an excellent book and one that I would definitely recommend.
This is an author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked up by her. I enjoy her writing skills and her ability to pull me into the story with ease. This book is no different. It is a shorter story but it sure packs a punch. Coyote and Andrea are back with another adventure that has humor in parts and has a supernatural theme. I enjoy Andrea and what she brings to the story. She is a ghost that never believed until she became one. She is my favorite of the story for sure. This is a well written story that I read in one sitting. It is engaging and fast paced. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters as well as the plot throughout the story. You don’t want to miss out on this one. I highly recommend this book.
‘Life isn’t a moral vacuum and life is not meaningless.’ She peered down her nose at Andrea and added, ‘it’s okay if some things are a mystery.’
Encounters with Old Coyote was a very well written short read that had far too many “oh, that’s good” quotes for me to count. We follow our main character after death, a plot that I can’t recall ever really reading in the past in this capacity anyway. The characters are enjoyable with a lot of insight and depth. I loved listening to each story within the story, especially those like her brother vomiting, the casual “huh, why did I just say that” type of story.
If you’re looking for a short, unique and thought provoking read, Laura Koerber created it here.
The story begins, interesting, when Andrea's life ends. Whereupon, she meets Coyote, a cynical, but helpful supernatural being. Together, they begin to share stories as she comes to term with herself being a ghost. Other than a few typos in the document I read, the writing was well done. Andrea grapples with many things, her husband's paintings that she left behind, for one, and if she is a ghost, he could be too. But as she talks to Coyote she feels more, and more at peace. If you enjoy stories within stories, stories that question the universe and the purpose of life, and the idea that some things we may never know for sure and that's okay, you will enjoy this story.
Encounters With Old Coyote by Laura Koerber is made up of a collection of 13 short stories. Ms. Koerber weaves tales that blend fact with fiction, anecdotes with magical realism, adding a touch of the paranormal, emotion, intrigue, and wit. As expected, Ms. Koerber has crafted a highly original book- bringing us a touch of the unusual- and blending fantasy with some mystery, and magical realism- thereby capturing the imagination and pulling the reader into her ‘world’. Each story is a very quick and easy read. Encounters With Old Coyote is another interesting, original, and thought provoking read. Happy reading…
This was a really intriguing and interesting read. I have read books by this author previously so thought I would give this one a go. The main character in the story, Andrea, is a ghost. It was actually a really thought provoking story and for Andrea it was about her looking back on her journey along with Coyote. The author really brings this characters story to life with her wonderful and engaging writing style. Her descriptive language was great as I was taken along with Andrea as she remembered her memories and brought them to life again. A really interesting read and one I would recommend.
This is an interesting and though provoking story that explores the notion of death and the afterlife. Told in a unique and refreshing way, the story creates a journey that you can go along with the characters. A collection of stories and tales, the book slowly pieces together Andreas life and the events that have shaped her. It was a great way to get to know her as a character and showed a real development as the book went on. This author always manages to produce different and intriguing stories that are unlike anything I have ever read. This book is no exception and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This a really beautifully written story. The author's writing is always beautiful, descriptive, spiritual and really draws in as a reader.
This book is made up for 13 stories that are told from the view points of the Old Coyote and Andrea's spirit. Together they travel around sharing stories and discussing topics such as is there a God and what happens when we die. Andrea's stories are all about reliving memories and it was beautiful to see the things she remembered and how those memories had an impact on her life and now death.
This is a heartwarming story and I loved it. The author's writing is beautiful and really stays with you even after the story is over