What do you think?
Rate this book
Tales of The Southwest
An eclectic collection of short stories set in the Southwestern United States.The stories in this anthology take place in many eras from the times of the 'old west'to the present day. None are stereotype shoot-em up slapping leather, punching cows wild west stories. Written by several well-known authors, they run a gamut from literary fiction, to science fiction and beyond. CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION THE TRAIN FROM TUCUMCARI John F. Green THE STRANGERS James Pyles KADEE ROSE P.A. O'Neil SHADOWS OF THE ANASAZI Gabriella Balcom THE VOICE IN THE WIND Jay Crowley GRANDMOTHER OF THE DESERT Edward C. Hartshorn ------------------------- APPENDIX Brief biographies of the contributing authors.
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 16, 2019
When I was growing up in the Southwest, I would often read my father’s cowboy novelas, of stereotypical machos and indios-yes, the representations were racist and sexist. The stories in this anthology, Tales of the Southwest, went far beyond traditional stories that I was expecting. They still captured the essence of the Southwest, but each author told a compelling tale, from the historic to the modern. They were all excellent, but two stories stood out for me and frankly surprised me in terms of their social commentary and political depth, Gabriella Balcolm’s “Shadows of the Anasazi” and Edward C. Hartshorn’s “Grandmother of the Dessert”. The first tale did a wonderful job of addressing Native American history and culture and had a touch of magical realism. That was my favorite bit. Plus, the ending took a turn I was not expecting. The second story by Harthshorn captured the struggles of undocumented youth crossing the border. I loved the character development in that piece and relished in the dialogue, especially the use of Spanish. If you enjoy westerns, you will love the variety in this collection.
My only minor criticism has to do with the interior design of the book. I want my hard copy books to have page numbers because it makes it easier for me to remember where I left off. The book had no page numbers; plus some of the stories ran into each other in an odd way, instead of starting on a fresh page. Otherwise, I thought the maps and graphics were beautiful. There was one image at the end of Balcolm’s piece that popped, and I wanted all the stories to have an image at the end of each story because the graphics were wonderful. Still, I give the anthology 5 stars.
My only minor criticism has to do with the interior design of the book. I want my hard copy books to have page numbers because it makes it easier for me to remember where I left off. The book had no page numbers; plus some of the stories ran into each other in an odd way, instead of starting on a fresh page. Otherwise, I thought the maps and graphics were beautiful. There was one image at the end of Balcolm’s piece that popped, and I wanted all the stories to have an image at the end of each story because the graphics were wonderful. Still, I give the anthology 5 stars.
March 18, 2020
Great stories!
I just finished reading Tales of the Southwest. Some great stories in this book that I really enjoyed:
"The Train from Tucumcari" by John Green tells a tale of redemption as a teenager in troubled is given the gift of a helping hand and a family blooms.
"The Strangers", by James Pyles takes us back in time and blends in space travel as a growing city comes together to save some babies.
P. A. O' Niell's story, "KaDee Rose", was a testament to how our children can surprise us with how quickly they suddenly become all grown up and learning to trust them to know their own abilities.
Gabriella Balcom's, "Shadows of the Anasazi", tells the story of a woman finding the home she's been missing all her life after a visit to the Four Corners area.
"The Voice in the Wind", by Jay Crowley tells us about a newly widowed woman who has a spiritual experience that takes her into fear and danger, then reaches out to offer a new life.
Finally, "Grandmother of the Desert" by Edward C Hartshorn takes you through the desert of Arizona with three brothers and their cousin as they seek a life they believe it's better than the one they now have, but the consequences are steep.
These stories are all very different and will keep your attention from beginning to end.
I just finished reading Tales of the Southwest. Some great stories in this book that I really enjoyed:
"The Train from Tucumcari" by John Green tells a tale of redemption as a teenager in troubled is given the gift of a helping hand and a family blooms.
"The Strangers", by James Pyles takes us back in time and blends in space travel as a growing city comes together to save some babies.
P. A. O' Niell's story, "KaDee Rose", was a testament to how our children can surprise us with how quickly they suddenly become all grown up and learning to trust them to know their own abilities.
Gabriella Balcom's, "Shadows of the Anasazi", tells the story of a woman finding the home she's been missing all her life after a visit to the Four Corners area.
"The Voice in the Wind", by Jay Crowley tells us about a newly widowed woman who has a spiritual experience that takes her into fear and danger, then reaches out to offer a new life.
Finally, "Grandmother of the Desert" by Edward C Hartshorn takes you through the desert of Arizona with three brothers and their cousin as they seek a life they believe it's better than the one they now have, but the consequences are steep.
These stories are all very different and will keep your attention from beginning to end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews