A feeling rose within her during that silence, a feeling that, somehow, there could be a way. Somehow, they could step beyond. Somehow, they could meet the deep life, the life they had both thirsted for, that they had both feared…
Here’s the set-up E. Thomas Finan’s The Other Side, just 99 Cents on Kindle:
This debut collection of seven short stories (30,000 words) by a rising young voice in American letters takes on the human condition with grit, humor, and insight. In “Lucy di Sartoria,” a woman’s marital infidelities prompt her to reevaluate her life. The title character of “Billy Stevens is 28” faces twenty-something angst, as the weight of missed opportunities falls squarely on his shoulders. “An Aria of Windrows” shows an office worker obsessing about a voice mail, and “Motley Black” is the comic tale of a melancholy man taking a cross-country bus trip. In the title story of the collection, a young wife afflicted with debilitating headaches notices strange things happening in her house.
The stories of The Other Side explore our connections and disjunctions with other people. Refusing the glib comforts of rote despair or a false happiness, The Other Side focuses on moments of personal growth as well as times of falling short—on the emotional hinges, defeats, and victories of life.
From the reviewers:
Defeat is another way to grow. “The Other Side” is a collection of short stories from E. Thomas Finn, who focuses on the losses and disappointments of life and how they change our path through it all. With profound storytelling on this common individual who will resonate well with readers, “The Other Side” is a must addition to any short fiction collection. –The Midwest Book Review
This beautifully written short story collection catches people at crucial moments in their lives when they begin to see things from a new perspective, or from “the other side.” Decisions are made to either leap forward with change, or to remain stuck in habit and routine.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about life situations that make you wonder … What if … ???
E. Thomas Finan is currently a lecturer at the University of Miami. Born and raised in Massachusetts, he holds undergraduate degrees from Cape Cod Community College and Boston University.
He holds a PhD in literature and philosophy from Boston University. He has also taught at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
His short play “Reunion” premiered at the Provincetown Theater Company in 2009.
And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample: