All the Shining People

by Kathy Friedman

Finalist for the 2023 Trillium Book Award

Shortlisted for the 2023 Daunta Gleed Award

Finalist for the 2023 ReLit Award for Short Fiction

Twelve exquisitely written stories depicting the search for human connection and the attempt to fit in far from home.

All the Shining People explores migration, diaspora, and belonging within Toronto’s Jewish South African community, as individuals come to terms with the oppressive hierarchies that separate, and the connections that bind. Seeking a place to belong, the book’s characters — including a life-drawing model searching the streets for her lover; a woman confronting secrets from her past in the new South Africa; and a man grappling with the legacy of his father, a former political prisoner — crave authentic relationships that replicate the lost feeling of home. With its focus on family, culture, and identity, All the Shining People captures the experiences of immigrants and outsiders with honesty, subtlety, and deep sympathy.

Genres: Short Stories, Canada, Audiobook, Queer, Jewish, Fiction, Contemporary

241 pages, Paperback

Published April 5, 2022

About the author

KATHY FRIEDMAN emigrated with her family from South Africa to the suburbs of Toronto when she was five. She studied creative writing at the University of British Columbia and the University of Guelph, and was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Grain, Geist, PRISM international, Canadian Notes & Queries, and the New Quarterly. She teaches creative writing at the University of Guelph and is the co-founder and artistic director of InkWell Workshops. Kathy Friedman lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great debut short story collection, and I honestly need a debut novel from Kathy Friedman next. The writing was beautiful, honest, and everything I look for in a short story collection.

The stories that really stood out to me were The Foreign World; An Orchid, Blooming; The Burn; and Hineni. These characters I think will be the most memorable, and I just loved their stories and how they ended.

This author is one to watch!

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt a strong connection to a few of these stories inside. The back of the book describes All the Shining People "with its focus on family, culture and identity, captures the experiences of immigrants and outsiders with honesty, subtlety, and deep sympathy." Doesn't that sound similar to How to Pronounce Knife: Stories? Perhaps that's why I enjoyed this collection so much.

This is the first collection of short stories of many that are on the Craving CanLit list of eligible titles for the Giller Prize that I've read. I have many on hold for me at the library. Short stories are always on the Longlist so I'm going to focus a lot of my reading to get through as many of them so I can form an opinion on which ones I think might appear on the Longlist, for my Shadow Giller duties. :-)

[Dana mccauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to keep on the shelf or in your travel bag because you can read it several times and get something new with each reading.

I read this collection of short stories for the first time almost 2 years ago and found myself thinking about many of the characters and stories in the time since.

Recently I picked it up again and found the stories just as poignant the second time around.

Among my favourites was “Twist”, a story about an art class model living in Toronto’s Kensington Market. The title is well chosen as the story unravels a narrative that introduces the reader to characters who twist themselves both physically and emotionally.

This would be a great story collection for a book club made up of careful readers who enjoy talking about ideas and good writing.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was a debut book for author Kathy Friedman and it was beautifully written and heart warming in terms of her characters and story lines.
The stories seemed like they were separate but characters did pop up in several stories and they were all linked by their contact with South Africa.
The stories were moments in the lives of the characters, but they demonstrated how moments can have a long lasting impact on the lives of the individual and all they come in contact with.
Great debut book !

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful debut collection of 13 stories bound by the common thread of Jewish emigres from South Africa to Canada. Each story features a character who is searching for something in some way- and sometimes neither the quest or the goal isn't immediately clear. This isn't really about immigration but rather the impact of dislocation on the soul, be it from, in this case, Africa, or from one's self. Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC. Read these one a day to fully appreciate them.

[J.P. Letkemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of stories about the Jewish South African diaspora in Toronto. I was impressed by the range of voices and overlapping storylines. The book as a whole felt remarkably cohesive (not always the case with story collections). And Friedman writes about places so beautifully. In the case of Toronto, she makes a city that’s familiar (to me) feel strange and new. The final story, “Hineni,” moved me to tears.

[Erika Dreifus]

Features an impressive array of narrative voices and choices. The promo copy led me to expect more about South African Jews' emigration experiences than I found within. In many cases here, characters' immigrant status seems incidental.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short stories that I liked. The style of writing and the characters are fascinating and I would like to read a novel by this author.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poignant. Heart breaking. Life affirming. Kathy's stories are a beautiful exploration of lives linked by South African and Canada, sometimes foreign to me, yet also touching parts of my own experience. I highly recommend this wonderful collection.

[BG · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how some characters reappeared in separate stories as themselves. This gave them some continuity or substance. First story had a confusing ending as did some of the others. Last story was the best one to finish the collection with.

[Julie Scrivener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathy covers just about anything, and more, in this book of stories with incredible sensitivity, insight and imagination. I marvel also at Kathy’s ability to organize the whole work so artfully. Thank you, Kathy, for this treasure. I will keep recommending this book!

[Emily Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection of short stories! I couldn't put it down. Each short story was connected, yet unique and I loved the characters!

[Rick Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are 12 fascinating stories, beautifully and tenderly written, artful in their telling, and deeply moving. I especially liked "All the Shining People", the short story.

[dalya · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading a book full of short stories. The stories were written very well.

[Carie Gall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the thread of the characters from story to story.

[Aquamarine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review on its way.

[Merritt Burstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 audiobook

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly interconnected short stories; the strange mix of privilege and sorrow mean that the stories end exactly where they would in real life

[Jayson Campeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not usually a short story kind of reader. Having read the audio version of this book, I actually didn't always know when one story ended and another started. There was a nice thematic thread all through the book.