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Chalk Tracks: Stories from the Downlands
Lillian helps people to die. Ruth encounters an unsettling stranger on the towpath. Kathy obsesses over a painting. Robyn puts her trust in a fox. Mags is a forager; he takes the things he wants.
Rooted in the landscape of the South Downs, where the chalk hills roll out to the sea, this incisive debut collection of short stories by Gina Challen explores the places where the familiar can become threatening.
Rooted in the landscape of the South Downs, where the chalk hills roll out to the sea, this incisive debut collection of short stories by Gina Challen explores the places where the familiar can become threatening.
134 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 5, 2020
I loved this collection of stories from the Downlands, enhanced by the recognition of local settings close to where I live. Challen's characters exist in rural landscapes, often living as outsiders looking on or watching others. The countryside is not a cosy idyll in these stories, it can be lonely, melancholic and layered with sadness. Several stories left me with a sense of unease, there are dark undercurrents lingering in the character's lives or a feeling that all is not quite right. Overwhelmingly, I thought of autumn while reading, fading light and the chill of winter around the corner.
The Downlands are beautifully captured in this collection and I ached to go walking and explore many of the settings. Each story is perfectly constructed, emotionally rich and beautifully written. Gina Challen is a skilled weaver of immersive short stories.
The Downlands are beautifully captured in this collection and I ached to go walking and explore many of the settings. Each story is perfectly constructed, emotionally rich and beautifully written. Gina Challen is a skilled weaver of immersive short stories.
August 12, 2019
I haven't read a lot of the short story genre, and only two collections by a single author, but this is by far and away the best. My only criticism is that Gina Challen should be writing LONGER stories as each one left me wanting more.
Thought provoking, real, fantastic characterisation and amazing observations - this book has it all. I really recommend you limit yourself to just one story a day (a ten minute read) because each story leaves you mulling over it in your mind and wondering what happened after. A really good book to read aloud to elderly parents too, as there is so much to discuss after each one.
Recommend.
Thought provoking, real, fantastic characterisation and amazing observations - this book has it all. I really recommend you limit yourself to just one story a day (a ten minute read) because each story leaves you mulling over it in your mind and wondering what happened after. A really good book to read aloud to elderly parents too, as there is so much to discuss after each one.
Recommend.
July 1, 2019
The best short story collection I’ve read in ages. Beautifully crafted stories that are thought provoking and a joy to read.
I loved this little book!
I loved this little book!
December 28, 2023
Beautifully written stories deeply rooted in the Sussex countryside. Thought provoking. Sometimes dark. Always vivid.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews