And Dogs to Chase Them

by Ray Trotter

In this collection, ordinary humans are pushed to do things in out-of-the-ordinary ways. Trotter has conjured a world of Southern hyper-reality in And Dogs to Chase Them: a good Christian woman who pushes a man down the staircase, “as final as flushing the commode;” a concrete deliveryman who ought to have double checked the address before he got out of his truck; and a man who enacts his revenge on the self-declared Queen of the Post Office.

Through a keen eye for detail, Trotter brings to life a world that is at once familiar and deeply odd, and creates characters that stay with a reader long after the book is closed.

“Ray Trotter is a gifted writer. He knows his people, their place, and their language, and that combination makes for a collection that is at times laugh-out loud funny and other times deeply poignant. And Dogs to Chase Them is a winner.” —Ron Rash, author of Serena, Nothing Gold Can Stay, and The Caretaker

“Ray Trotter’s great collection, And Dogs to Chase Them, brings to mind the great stories of Larry Brown. These are everyday, mostly blue-collar, characters, putting up good fights, skeptical of their situations, and true to their beliefs. Set mostly at the tail end of the Appalachians, Trotter’s gathered a passel of good, stubborn, often hilarious men and women who endure. I love this collection and recommend it highly.” —George Singleton, author of The Curious Lives of Non-Profit Martyrs and The Half-Mammals of Dixie

“Ray Trotter’s And Dogs To Chase Them is an intimate and nuanced portrait of mostly working class people struggling to survive and do better. Set in North Georgia and East Tennessee, these stories sparkle with insight into what it means to be human in a world that is often unforgiving but offers hope.” —Sybil Baker, author of Apparitions and Immigration Essays

Genres: Fiction

188 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Walter Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful stories with a strong tinge of humor. A marvelous writer with a gift for a good story, but also with an understanding of imperfect people doing the best they can. Highly recommend Ray Trotter's new book!

[Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful voice in the tradition of great Southern storytellers like George Singleton and Ron Rash, and yet uniquely its own. These stories, set mostly in East Tennessee, kept me enthralled.

[Noah Alvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic collection of stories. These stories were written authentically and impartially, perfectly blending heartbreak with humor. My favorite story was ‘Snow.’

[Abby N Lewis]

You can read my review of this book on Chapter 16's website here: https://chapter16.org/chasing-tales/