Mrs. Somebody Somebody: Stories

by Tracy Winn

Collects short stories centering on Lowell, Massachusetts, as it evolves from a booming mid-century mill town to its contemporary incarnation.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Womens

189 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2009

Reviews

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mrs. Somebody Somebody is a collection of stories. There are ten stories, all linked together so seamlessly that, at times, I didn’t even see it until after I’d already finished and moved on to the next one.
I had my favorites, of course. Each story had its pros and cons, its central conflict, and they all tied together in the end. To be honest, I loved this book.

The first story, Mrs. Somebody Somebody, is about Stella Lewis and Lucy Mattsen. They are two girls working on the mills in Lowell, Massachusetts in the late 1940s. Stella is shy and honest while Lucy is brave and confrontational. They are opposites yet they are the same and, over the course of this story, they become best friends.
It all begins when a baby falls into the canal.
And, of course, it all goes wrong.

The second story, Blue Tango, is about Charlie and Delia Burroughs. He is finally home from war. But their relationship, after months of separation, has fallen apart.
All he wants to do is put it back together.
Maybe they are two different people now.

The third story, Glass Box, is about that same couple, but this time mostly focusing on Delia. This story focuses on the mistakes she made and how, now, she has to face them. She has to come to terms with the things she has done and all it takes is one night for everything to unravel.

Gumbo Limbo, the fourth story, is about June DeLisle. She is in love with birds, with nature, and she is also in love with her husband. But she can’t seem to push together these two worlds. They go on vacation and June finally realizes that they will come together in time, though time may be running out.

Smoke is a simple story about a simple boy, Franklin, Charlie and Delia’s son. One morning, the morning after a party, as he waits for his parents to wake up.
This was one of my favorites.

Another Way To Make Cleopatra Cry is about a purse and a family that is torn apart in a matter of hours. Kaylene watches her world fall apart and she wonders if it was ever together. Things come to a head in the bar.

Frankie Floats is about Franklin Burroughs, the same boy who was focused on in Smoke, the same boy whose family lingers throughout this whole collection. Now he is older. Shouldn’t he be wiser?
He falls off a roof of a building, locks himself in a convenience store, and tries to figure out where he went wrong.

Copper Leaves Waiting was my favorite story in the collection.
This story centers on Helen Burroughs, Frankie’s younger sister. She is beautiful, smart, and she hasn’t seen her brother in months. He very slowly distanced himself from his life, her family, and now he is slowly coming back in.
It never lasts.

Cantagallo is the story of Izabel, her mother, and the life that immigrants living in America have. They wait for citizenship and they wait for authorities to take them back to the place they never wanted to go and they wait for solace, closure. It comes and it doesn’t.
This story broke my heart.

Luck Be A Lady, the final story in this collection, was another of my favorites. The story is told from the perspective of Robert Dubas, a dying man. He is running out of time and everything seems to lead back to that stone wall and, if I try to explain this story, I will spoil the whole collection for you. But really, everything comes together at the end of this story. Robert Dubas is the glue that holds these pages together.

Mrs. Somebody Somebody was a brilliant collection. Tracy Winn is a phenomenal writer. The descriptions in these stories were frank and sparse but imagery was unbelievably vivid. I read these stories as quickly as I could, though I had to stop quite frequently because certain things just wouldn’t leave my mind.

This book raises a lot of questions about life and the things we do, subtle connections we all have with each other, how everything we do overlaps into the present from the past.
Consequences and mistakes and honesty. Tracy Winn touches on so many things in 200 pages, in 10 stories, and I would highly recommend this collection.

Superb. One of the greatest things I have read in the recent months.
Tracy Winn is the kind of writer that only comes along every so often.
I can’t wait to read her future collections, or anything she will write.
I can’t wait for the stories she has yet to tell.
I’m already waiting.

8/10

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on this one about 2/3 of the way through it - after the story about 2 young kids getting abandoned in a bar. Each story seemed more depressing than the last.

I originally put it on my list because it is set in Lowell, Mass. where I live. At first it was fun to recognize place names in the stories, but after a while it got annoying because there were too many details that were wrong. This is fiction so it shouldn't matter, but it still raised skepticism of her understanding of the situations and the people. Also the "stories" were really more just vignettes with no real plot, character or situation development. If I am going to read about depressing events, I'd like to come away with some sympathy for the people or at least an understanding of how it could happen, otherwise the only result is feeling depressed and sad. I don't need that - so I gave up.

[Shawna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like short stories but this was not up to my taste. I wish that the town wasn't the only constant character and had I not read it on the back I would not have known. A timeline would have also helped. I was hoping that somehow the stories would interlock in the end but sad to say they didn't. Also, the stories didn't seem to have resolutions just cliff hangers and never were revisted. This was upsetting to me because when you spend the effort to read a story you expect an end, not the middle of a life left behind. Out of all the tales to be told there were only 3 stories that I enjoyed, the rest were painful to get through. I would not recommend this for someone who is looking for a good, short book to read.

[Kimberley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chosen to read by my book group because it was set in Lowell, Massachusetts and supposedly interwoven stories live "Olive Kitteridge." Unfortunately, I found the stories very depressing. The town of Lowell was the constant for these stories and not the characters. Yet, other than the first story which was focused on Mill Girls, these stories could have been set in any town. While there was some connectivity between characters in the stories, the author chose to focus on how a minor character in one story next had a miserable experience. Because these were just snippets of lives and focused on the bitter not the sweet, it was difficult to connect with them.

[Jolina Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. Would've liked going in to it that it was sort of a collection of stories, I might have had a different reaction to it. I was disappointed that the stories weren't tied together better. Several of the characters could've been their own novel, and I was curious what happened to some of them.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linked short stories set in Lowell, Ma from post WWII to the present. Somewhat uneven, but the first and last stories are stellar and somehow, the sum of the whole makes even the weaker stories seem stronger.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it 4 stars because some of the stories really piqued my interest. I am amazed at how the author got into so many characters so deeply and I enjoyed the subtle tie-ins of characters in each story. I thought one or two stories were a little weaker. I began to get tired of the mill workers, and Frenchie bored me a bit but I loved the surprise twist. Most of the stories were very engaging and presented characters who were interesting and sympathetic. I’m glad I pushed on, the book was well worth it.

[Rebecca Winterer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tracy Winn's collection, with its nuanced characters, expanse of time, class and individual struggles, is an ode to Lowell, Massachusetts. This is a place filled with complicated wonderful people, who Winn will make you care about as much as she does. I read this collection years ago yet still many of the scenes and images have stayed with me. The creation of such lasting stories is not easy to do.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written, this collection of linked stories reveals the diverse lives of people living in the mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts at mid-century. Best read in one sitting. Otherwise, it can become a little challenging to "connect the dots" and place characters who were minor players in other chapters.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy Winn made me care about Stella in the first story, so much so that she stayed in the back of my mind each time she shifted perspectives. When a salon was mentioned, I’d hoped it was hers. When she finally returned in the last story, I was glad she’d found love, although she was never Mrs. Anybody. Love comes in a million different forms, and this book has a lovely sampling.

[Tim Nason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling but sometimes implausible stories superficially connected in various ways to a hair salon in Lowell, Massachusetts. The characters are vividly portrayed but I missed a sense of emotional rootedness; they seem only semi-conscious, unmotivated; they act, but why? Similarly the city of Lowell becomes a location but not a distinctive environment; the setting could be any decaying factory town. Most of the stories concern naive hopefulness amid disintegration with not much going on between those extremes.

[Tom Musbach · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of stories started strong, but it didn’t sustain my interest for the duration. Some of the connections among stories were satisfying, but overall the experience for me was disjointed. (5)

[Heidi Weaver · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't waste your time on this one.

[Kerstin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although not described as a collection of short stories, it read as such. What a sad, sad motley crüe, nothing inspiring or noteworthy, depressing at best, disturbing at most. Not my cup of tea.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent interrelated short stories!

[Dani Peloquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about this book from a podcast that I listen to and put it on my "to be read" list because I was planning on visiting Lowell over the summer. Growing up in New England, I know a bit about the manufacturing history of Massachusetts and remember reading "Lyddie" when I was in middle school. However, I had shied away from reading any other literature that focused on factory or mill work. Yet, this short story collection blew me away! I would recommend it to any and every one.

The stories begin in the late 1940s with a woman who is working in the mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her story is typical of such tales in which one women desires to find a man and a better life outside of the mills while another woman wants to work for better conditions in the mill. Though this story has been told numerous times before, Tracy Winn does not let the tale grow stale. The rest of the stories span from the 1940s to the present. Each gives a snapshot of the town as it changes over time.

Additionally, Winn expertly weaves all ten stories together. Characters that were briefly mentioned in one story can be the focus of an entire story later in the collection. Of course there were tales that were more interesting than others, but I never felt that the collection was unbalanced. I found that each character showed Lowell through a different lens that was telling about the town during that specific time period. Basically, I couldn't put it down!

I think that it is very safe to say that Tracy Winn is an author to watch. "Mrs. Somebody Somebody" is already being compared to "Olive Kitteridge" in which the town is the true focus of the collection. I agree with this comparison as the reader is able to see the town's growth as well as that of the characters. However, I would even go further and state that it is similar to Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio". Like "Winesburg, Ohio", I believe "Mrs. Somebody Somebody" will become a classic and I greatly look forward to Winn's future writings.

www.iamliteraryaddicted.blogspot.com

[MaryAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a big short story fan but this book gets a B grade. The stories are linked by compelling characters who appear through out the collection in featured and minor roles. All about anybody is never revealed; the characters retained some of their mystery as normal human beings do.

The other unifying characteristic is the location, Lowell Massachusetts in the mid 20th century. I never could quite figure out if the time period was before the 2nd world war, after or sometime in the 50's. But what caught my minds eye was the working conditions in the mills which are hulking characters in the shadows of the backdrop. Once again, history, that I slept through in some class or forgot or just never entered my mind, is revealed, to me anyway, anew.

Despite historical shirt factory fires and other industrial mishaps that made the news and shocked the country, working conditions remained bad because people needed to work to eat, pay the rent, etc. Workers asking for better, safer conditions then demanding their rights were never welcomed by the paternalistic hierarchy. Unions did not peacefully evolve because they like potential members were bullied with subtle threats and unbridled physical violence.

Finally though the stories is about the people; how they grow, evolve, deal with life and death. And that is what makes reading worthwhile

[Dianah (onourpath) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs. Somebody Somebody by Tracy Winn was not exactly what I expected. Reading the description in the ER listing, it was not clear that the book was a series of short stories set in one small town, rather than a full length novel.

While I'm not normally a fan of short story collections, there is some worth here. The continuity of the setting and some characters included in more than one story, made the book read slightly more like a novel, but not enough to consider it one. Very few of the characters are fleshed out enough to give you the feel of a novel.

Mrs. Somebody Somebody, Frankie Floats, Blue Tango and Gumbo Limbo fall somewhere in the "ok" range - not great; not horrible. Another Way to Make Cleopatra Cry was just bad; unlikeable characters and just plain uninteresting.

The "good" includes Glass Box, Smoke, Cantogallo, Copper Leaves Waving and Luck, Be a Lady. These stories are all poignant with great character development, interesting moods and beautiful writing. I spent the time reading these stories and wishing they were the basis of a novel-length work.

On the whole, I liked this book, but not a lot. Quite telling is the fact that after chapter one, I read two different books before being able to pick this one up again to finish it.

[Elise Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happily, I was fortunate enough to have read this book during an almost six-hour plane trip from Palm Springs to Chicago, giving me time to get almost all the way through it in one sitting. I loved this book. Each chapter is a short story and could stand on its own as a little gem. The setting is a northeastern mill town, and the stories span a period following WW II to present day. We meet the same character in the first and last chapters, which allows us to see her personal growth and how her life progressed---creating a complete story of her life and providing a novel's cohesiveness to the book. In the chapters in between the first and last, we meet a different set of characters, but there is a connection (often loose) between them. Each chapter is narrated by the main character of that story, and Winn is astonishingly adept at speaking in those diverse voices. Winn is also able to paint stunningly well-crafted pictures of the social classes her characters inhabit. Mrs Somebody Somebody made me marvel anew at how a really good writter constructs a story. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that this book will become a classic. Even if it doesn't, it's going on my list of favorites.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of short stories about the troubled factory town of Lowell, Mass. In pre-union days the worker was grossly misused. There were long hours under terrible working conditions. Desperate for jobs, the poor of Lowell had no option other than to work in a grueling, body and mind numbing environment. Forming a union meant the loss of a job and/or a beating at the hands of goons hired by the owner.

Each short story is connected from the first chapter when we met Stella, an employee of the Hub Hosiery mill. She is a spunky determined woman who simply dreams of finding and marrying a man to support her, ie to be Mrs. Somebody, Somebody.

The following chapters unfold as the author develops the characters who inhabit the town of Lowell, beginning in 1947 - current. We learn of the workers, the owners and their children.

The chapters contain well written tales of the rich and the poor as they struggle with their hopes, dreams and their demons.

The characters are wonderfully developed and the book is very well written.

Highly recommended.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book of short stories set in Lowell, MA (post-WWII through present day), Mrs. Somebody Somebody can be bleak and depressing. But the collection's stories are also beautifully, almost poetically, told. While I was ready to throw it down at times because of the sadness of this dying mill town (one I grew up next door to and yet barely know), I am glad I didn't. The last story was the best of the book and left me wanting--but not quite able--to give this more than three stars. It pulled the characters from the various stories together and offered a unique sort of hope for the future. Lastly, I should mention that this small book is physically beautiful and artistically reflects the stories' tone and content. Kudos to Southern Methodist University Press on this one. Great book title, too--one that's all the more appropriate by the end of the collection.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book - not only is short fiction one of my favorite genres but the idea of the interlocking stories seemed to be right in my pocket. I tried, I really tried but I just can't bring myself to read any further than the first 2 (and even that was a struggle). There is a strange combination of too much information and then not enough when it comes to characters and story development. Like the author is keeping secrets from us and only sharing surface details. Almost like a friend retelling a story that you experienced too...you don't need all the details because you already know them, except in this case we the readers don't. I liked where the author was trying to go and I liked the characters I did get to know - I just felt like the writing was choppy and inconsistent.

[NTE · Rating 3 out of 5]

The thing about a collection of short stories, for me, is that I almost always want more. I'm too greedy for short stories, I guess. When characters or what's going on in their lives are interesting, I see no reason for their tales to end so abruptly. Which is why, even though I really enjoyed this collection, I am not giving it more stars (although 3.5 is probably closer to my genuine rating) or putting it on the keeper shelf. I know I won't read them again, but I also think I'll remember the people who live in this fictional version of Lowell, Massachusetts for a long, long time. Also, the fact that this is a debut work, makes me excited, because I think this author really has a lot of talent at making you see her characters as real people.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a book I would have chose, but it was a requirement for my English class. My whole group is lost. It keeps jumping around and adding new characters that we can't keep straight. There's just too much going on in the book to get everything. Plus I was not getting the underlying things happening or going on other than what was being said. The book was so sad and depressing. Why is everyone cheating on everyone?! I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I didn't feel sorry for them when things happened except the children when they were children. I had to laugh and say,"Really?!" after the top of pg. 188. I did not feel sorry for the main character Stella. I just laughed. I was like Wow! I don't feel sorry for Frenchie. Now I have to write an essay on this. Joy!

[AJ LeBlanc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should be subtitled: Seriously Depressing Stories.

The reason they're so depressing is because they accurately capture life. I like short stories that find a moment in time - maybe a few hours, maybe a few days. These stories do that well, but Winn isn't interested in the sweet moments, although there are snippets here and there.

The stories read like non-fiction and it's clear that Winn did her homework. I liked how they're all loosely connected over 60 years. Sometimes it took me a few pages to realize how the character in one story was twined with the character from another, but those strings are there.

[Lauren Longoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down but when I absolutely had too, I would think about it often and grow excited for the next time I could read more. This novel had no plot because it wasnt supposed to, life has no plot which is what brought out the beauty in this book. There was a theme though, and for me that was resiliency. The characters of Lowell, Massachusetts coped with the problems they faced proactively or not and though not ALL the characters had a happy ending or a huge triumphant one thats OKAY. It is something that can be excepted because again this story is about peoples lives and not all people get to have happy endings...sorry bout it.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has to be one of the biggest disappointments ever. When I discovered it got left on a wet washcloth, my only concern was that the book soaked up some of the fresh goodness of the water. Sheesh. Seriously. The first two chapters of this book laid out a fine plot and developed characters quite nicely. What followed was a hodge podge of mis-matched plots and dodgy characters. If I had quit reading after the firs two chapters and never found out what happened to the people, it would have been MUCH more satisfying. Definitely a fine wordsmith, but poorly crafted book overall. Save your time. O. Henry or Clemmins will be a much better use of time.

[Sherida · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked about this book was mostly how the characters live were all woven together. After I read the first chapter I thought that this was a book of short stories but as I kept reading I found little bits of every ones lives in the stories.
What I didn't like about this book was all of the cussing. I am the kind of person that believes a good book can be written without the use of swear words.
The book was a tug at your heartstrings kind of book I am very glad for the opportunity to have read it.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of inter-related short stories of people living in Lowell, Massachusetts. Each story stands alone and is beautifully written, but cumulatively, I became more and more depressed as the book went on. Most of the characters are lost in some way, unsuccessfully seeking to fill holes in their hearts, and the weight of their sad stories left me feeling bereft. Nevertheless, I am haunted by some of the stories and did consider the writing exceptional in places.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and a quick read. I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of interconnected short stories but when well done they work as is the case with this book. Like other reviewers, some stories left me wanting more and some seemed to drag a bit too long.

Glad I read it and I'll pass it around my book club before adding it to the book swap or bookcrossing.

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