Sunday 13 October 2013

Secrets and Rain - Cally Taylor

 
Secrets and Rain is a collection of stories written by Cally Taylor, author of Heaven Can Wait and Home for Christmas.  I sometimes find short stories frustrating as there are obviously limits to how much you can learn about characters and how much empathy you can have for them when reading just a few thousand words.  However, Cally Taylor has managed to write beautiful short stories that capture the quirks and emotions of the characters within them.  Dealing with the search for love, bereavement and infertility amongst other subjects that women will relate to, Secrets and Rain is a thought-provoking collection that will make you appreciate what you have.
 
I read the stories over two sittings as I was enjoying them so much.  I could have devoured them all in one go but for pacing myself.  As stand alone stories they would also be perfect for reading in those quiet five minutes- coffee breaks, bus journeys, sat on the loo!  The stories are all well structured and I felt satisfied by the endings, something I don't always say when talking about this genre.
 
If you are a fan of short stories or women's fiction in general, I'd recommend Secrets and Rain.  Cally Taylor's novels have been popular and well read, but in my opinion her short stories are her triumph.
 
9/10

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