Grandpa's Horse and Other Tales

by Edward J. Lehner

This anthology of short stories contains embellished memoirs, fanciful flights concerning climate change and the Covid epidemic along with stories of romance and mystery. There is no unifying thread that unifies them, but they are rather a loose group of random stories written over the span of the last five or six years.

Genres: Short Stories, Ebooks

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2022

About the author

Ed Lehner has journaled and written poetry for over 40 years and he began writing short stories a few years ago. He published his first novel, San Juan Sunrise, in December 2015, and his second, The Awakening of Russell Henderson, in 2020. His new book of short stories, Grandpa's Horse and Other Tales, is available in March 2022. Ed is a retired professor of graphic design/visual communication from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. He is a an author, a luthier and a musician. and lives and plays in The Four Corners area of Colorado where he lives with his wife, Julie, and their cat, Emma.

Reviews

[Bronte Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting these stories to be quirky for some reason and they didn't quite deliver. The first, eponymous tale was my favourite mainly due to the writing style which perfectly fit the narrative. It was short and ended abruptly but that is explained in the books intro so wasn't a surprise. I just found the rest of the stories didn't grab me in any way. I'm currently struggling a little with a lot of what I'm reading due to personal circumstances so would not want others to discount this book on my opinion. I think the writer has the ability to push the style into something more their own but as it is anyone could have written these brief reminiscences and tales. I would hope the author continues to work at developing their skill and I would consider reading more by him.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grandpa’s Horse & Other Tales by Ed Lehner
Love the story of 1940s and war is over and how those in rural areas survived, what they grew for themselves and tended to farm animals.
Lots of stories with events that take place in rural area, Sometimes it's like twilight zone with aliens but other times it's just regular people making a living. Like how the author can be sitting having a coffee at the shop and notice people and he is able to write a story about them.
Love hearing of the awards author won for the works he entered.
Received this review copy from AIA Publishing and this is my honest opinion.

[Linda Hartlaub · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

I wish I could give partial stars because this book is better than a three but not quite a four. It is comprised of a series of short stories and one short novella. The stories take place between Iowa, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and a few other forays into Western states and Chicago. You can tell the author loves the West and his stories reflect a fondness for the scenery and lifestyle there. If you read them aloud, you can picture yourself in an audience presentation at NPR's The Moth. Most stories are sweet, poignant and charming. A nice way to spend a few days.

[Marisa Gaspari Brandle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the writing. The stories were great at the start and then ended abruptly. I assume that was the idea behind it but I need a clear ending, especially in short stories. So many times I was hooked and then let down. I think I'd love this author if the writing was done in a different style. If that kind of thing doesn't bother you (I'm fully aware this could just be a ME issue), please read it. Like I said, the writing was fantastic.

[Michele Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of short stories that didn't have a common theme among them. There are some stories that are relevant to issues that we face today such as climate change and the COVID virus. I enjoyed reading the different stories and it was exciting to see what the next story would be about. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from Goodreads First Reads.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The second story "The Library of the Occult" was my favorite of the collection, but they were all good and well-written.