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Shy Feet: Short Stories Inspired by Travel
by
"This collection of stories is like a blanket woven from 100% wanderlust under which you can hide as Frances M. Thompson tucks you in with her words and keeps you warm with her descriptions of characters you'll love and places you can tell she knows by heart." Gesa Neitzel, www.bedouinwriter.com
"Shy Feet: Short Stories Inspired by Travel transports you to exotic locales wi ...more
"Shy Feet: Short Stories Inspired by Travel transports you to exotic locales wi ...more
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ebook, 1, 194 pages
Published
August 16th 2013
by Frances M Thompson
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Start your review of Shy Feet: Short Stories Inspired by Travel

Travel itself is the best opportunity to tell stories, but don't expect this book to be a collection of travel stories. The characters and the stories are built around trips and beautiful landscapes. Travel is an impressive source of knowledge and the short stories are occasioned by encounters on the road, observation of nature or desire to go out from the usual daily routine. In most cases, the ending is completely unexpected leaving the reader either surprised or curious to built up by him or
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A masterful collection of short stories bound together by the theme of travel, but actually embracing just about every important theme in literature - love, death, motherhood, marriage, etc etc - in deftly woven, well-timed tales that had me gripped. Very well written, with a nice blend of humour, and poignant situations, never predictable and always pleasing. I quite liked the device of prefacing every story with a quote from a great writer, too, and went back at the end of every story to remin
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Shy Feet is a collection of short stories centred on the theme of travel and, underlying this, the connected theme of going home. It’s a book about places and people. The author is a keen observer and creates the places in vivid detail, giving several stories an atmospheric quality. It’s also about people: the relationships between characters and individual’s developing self-awareness which reveal what makes us human. There is such a variety of material that it’s difficult to throw it all into o
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If one were given a box full of handmade sweets, with exotic ingredients, but no idea what each would be like? That. Some sweet, some funny, some sad, some wistful, no two alike. And the travel, fantastic. Never mind shy feet, mine are now itching fiercely.
Tears, twice. Smiles, often. Unlikely anyone would like every sweet in an assortment, and I didn't. But put it this way, I have a (very slim) folder in my Kindle for books I want to re-read and this is now transferred there, because there are ...more
Tears, twice. Smiles, often. Unlikely anyone would like every sweet in an assortment, and I didn't. But put it this way, I have a (very slim) folder in my Kindle for books I want to re-read and this is now transferred there, because there are ...more

Only two or three stories into Shy Feet I checked the first page again. "Surely this is a collaboration of authors," I thought. But no - Frances Thompson is just that talented at making each of her short stories unique.
After devouring this collection, I couldn't get the tales and characters out of my head. Even weeks later they are so vivid. Young Max and his love of ice cream; the lovers who ran away to get married; and the lifechanging trip to Thailand. (I'm being careful not to give too much ...more
After devouring this collection, I couldn't get the tales and characters out of my head. Even weeks later they are so vivid. Young Max and his love of ice cream; the lovers who ran away to get married; and the lifechanging trip to Thailand. (I'm being careful not to give too much ...more

My idea of a good book is one I do not want to put down. If I can't bear to part with it then it gets the highest praise. These are few and far between. I am pleased to say that Shy Feet was definitely one of those though. I loved every story and both longed for each tale to continue but at the same time to start the next. I felt both close to, and intrigued by the characters and found myself longing to visit many of the places. Loved it. I encourage you to read on and can't wait for the author'
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Stumbling across this collection of short stories is rather like finding a series of perfect pebbles on the shore: each one polished to perfection, and utterly unique. The difference is that when you pick up one of these stories, you can't tell how it will turn out.
These stories aren't just about travel. For me the most enjoyable journeys went deep inside the characters' hearts and minds. But I'm not going to spoil it for you by telling you what happens. Read the book for yourself!
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These stories aren't just about travel. For me the most enjoyable journeys went deep inside the characters' hearts and minds. But I'm not going to spoil it for you by telling you what happens. Read the book for yourself!
...more

I hope this is the first of many books of short stories by the author - I love it so. Her writing just Shines - and you'll want to read it all in one sitting, because you can't bear to put it down. We've interviewed the author here, and it is an honor to share her work. I love this book!
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A lovely collection of travel stories--these aren't your typical "I was on a train for days" fare, but instead focus on the intimate, intricate relationships one forms throughout their lives, all using the crystal lens of travel.
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Not as travel-focused as I'd hoped, and some of the storylines were a bit too similar, but still a nice collection. I liked the author's writing and would read more of her work.
A good holiday read. ...more
A good holiday read. ...more

Re-reading this as am considering doing a special 10-year edition for 2023 with a handful of new stories. It's always nice to be surprised by your own work, but this is what I liked most about this re-read:
* The quotes. I chose them well. Yay me!
* The variety of stories, characters and pacing in the stories. Niiiiiiice work me!
* The way I want to know what happens next for all the characters... and I flipping wrote them so if I don't know, who does? Silly me!
* How quick and easy nearly all of th ...more
* The quotes. I chose them well. Yay me!
* The variety of stories, characters and pacing in the stories. Niiiiiiice work me!
* The way I want to know what happens next for all the characters... and I flipping wrote them so if I don't know, who does? Silly me!
* How quick and easy nearly all of th ...more

I'd give this 4.5 stars. A wonderful collection of short travel stories featuring a myriad of different characters each bringing unique adventures and perspectives on travel ♥️ The perfect book to read to quench my thirst for wanderlust whilst we can't travel the world for the time being.
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I absolutely loved this collection of travel-inspired short stories. Frances has such a beautiful way with words and as an avid traveller myself, I found it so easy to be whisked away into each and every one. What makes it such a special collection is the way you can really visualize it all. I found my senses were heightened and that I almost befriended all of the characters. I really couldn't stop reading this book and I can't wait to indulge in some more of Frances' writing. Thank you for this
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Frances M. Thompson writes stories about love, sex and death. Sometimes in the same book...
Originally from London, UK, but now based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Frances is the author of three short story collections, Shy Feet Short Stories Inspired by Travel, London Eyes Short Stories, and Nine Women: Short Stories, a collection of poetry called Lover Mother Other, and the London Killing serie ...more
Originally from London, UK, but now based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Frances is the author of three short story collections, Shy Feet Short Stories Inspired by Travel, London Eyes Short Stories, and Nine Women: Short Stories, a collection of poetry called Lover Mother Other, and the London Killing serie ...more
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