Delta Flats: Stories In The Key Of Blues And Hope

by Dixon Hearne

From the piney hills of northern Louisiana to the raw and decadent streets of New Orleans,  Delta Stories in the Key of Blues and Hope records the daily lives of its characters with a poetic rhythm that evokes the ebb and flow of life itself. Dixon Hearne is a master at capturing the “blue reality” of life, moments―both large and small―that define the hot days and long nights of the deep south. With language as gritty as the blues and as beautiful as a gospel choir, he juxtaposes the downtrodden with the hopeful and the darkness with the light and plays out each story with deft, lyrical descriptions that make the reader want to laugh and sing with joy. 

214 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2016

Reviews

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books and stories set in the south and I wasn't disappointed in this book of short stories written by Dixon Hearne.

The book was broken down into four Parts.

Part One:
Coming of Age
Which I found several of them to be quite good and way too short. I particularly enjoyed "Somewhere deep inside" and found myself laughing out loud to "Raptured". I have to admit I did find them all very entertaining.

Part Two:
Resolutions
These were all great stories that I thoroughly enjoyed. Mr. Hearne really knows how to write some great tales, I guess one of my favorite stories in the whole book was "Cheap Relations", it was a hoot. The witty dialogue was hilarious. "Our Christmas Visitor" was another story about relatives coming together and not getting along too well. I guess we can all relate to some of these stories.

Part Three::
Turning Points
Some of these pulled on the heart strings a little hard. "Mercy Rare" was one that got to me. Then there was "Redemption" which was another good one.

Part Four:
The Blues
These too were all very good, my favorite was "Crescent City Blues" it was a story written about the infamous NOPD. I found it very entertaining.
"Don't Try Me" was another one that was too short. I wish some of these were novels.
"Hope of Flight" was another one that I wish could have gone on longer.

I was never really a big fan of short stories, but books like "Delta Flats" and a few other good ones I've read lately have made me change my opinion regarding them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think other readers who love the South as I do, will find this a very engaging read.

I would like to thank Amphorae Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this e-galley.

[Cynthia Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I finished the first story of Delta Flats: Stories in the Key of Blues and Hope, I knew I was in for something special. Hearne has a gift for climbing inside the skin of folks, all kinds of folks, and letting them tell you their story—stories of hardship and tribulation, struggle and sorrow, all with a breathtaking dignity. The stories are ultimately satisfying, giving the reader a sense of order in a world that is often unfair. His characters run the gamut, from the poor, colored people in The Quarter to rich, spoiled children in a judge’s office, and he touches each of them with humanity, allowing them deformities, flaws, and occasionally a masterful strength of character. Reading this book is reminiscent of a cold glass of sweet tea on a porch in the summer. These stories should be sipped, savored, and enjoyed.

[Mahala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dixon Hearne’s work never fails to leave the reader wanting more. In this new collection, each story makes you feel at home in the first sentence: the characters old friends and acquaintances. His ability to capture the genuine Southern spirit is strongly reminiscent of Gaines, Welty, O’Connor, R. P. Warren, and Falkner. Hearne’s stories are filled with the angst, fortitude, and dry humor that are embedded in all true Southerners. His ability to translate dialects that tenaciously continue in the Deep South of today has an accuracy too many authors avoid. He is neither condescending nor laborious in his precise interpretation of the language, which envelopes the rich cadence and significance of a proud people. From tent preachers to spirits of relatives past, Hearne’s stories take us into unique, yet fantastically real places, and bring us out with a new perspective.

[Suba Wijesinghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley exchange for an honest review. This book was a collection of short stories.

#.somewhere Deep Inside.
#.Penny Wise.
#.Best Man I Can.
#.Murcy Rare.
#.Ties That Bind.

These stories able to caught my attention & my mind most too. Those were very emotional stories. According to me,

#.Our Christmas Visitor

was the funniest story of the book.

Overall, the stories of the book was very sentimental & Those were probably help me to perceive some bitter experiences anyone have had to face ever. This book was capable to gave helpful advices & exemplaries to the society. And there were some lessons to learnt too.

[Annelies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for providing this copy.

Not exactly what I expected or hoped for. I did read all stories, but time and again found them to be overly sentimental, aimed at extracting very last teardrop. It really doesn't work for me.

The sentimentality lies both in the content and language.

I also wondered why all entries on Goodreads for this author had such high ratings,....it depends on who does the rating....

[Rachel]

I'm not usually a lover of short stories, but this collection resonates with me. Being from the South I found Hearne's language, particularly his use of dialect, and the stories in general, close to my heart. My favorite city in the U.S. is New Orleans, so I particularly loved the stories set in NOLA. Overall, it's a bit sappy, but not too. As the summer winds down, go sit on the porch and read this with a glass of tea, which, if you didn't know, is always sweet in the South unless you specify otherwise. ;)