Publication Date: January 1, 1999
A cat named Morgana Le Fay disrupts an elderly woman’s love life. Swimming laps in a pool makes a young man reflect on his odd encounters. A little boy wants to protect his mom and his brother. A teacher faces bigotry. An artist falls in love but can’t pay the bills or stay focused. When the sky was falling, they found each other in one special town.
From romantic comedy to razor-sharp satire to moments of quiet reflection, these tales explore the humor, drama, secrets, and scandals of small towns.
A small town in West Texas comes alive in a collection of tales in The Acorn Stories.
Author Duane Simolke introduces a cast of eclectic characters, illustrating life in a small town. Primarily set in the 1990s, the collection offers standalone moments with some recurring characters.
The title itself not only represents the name of the town, but it also serves as a metaphor that unfolds throughout the stories.
As long as readers treat this book as individual stories, then the sudden shift in narration won’t come as a surprise. While many of the stories highlight humorous or dramatic events, there are also some series themes, such as those covered in “Survival.”
The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.
Duane Simolke wrote The Acorn Stories, Degranon, Sons of Taldra, Holding Me Together, The Return of Innocence (with Toni Davis), Selected Poems, and New Readings of Winesburg, Ohio. He also edited and co-wrote the fundraiser The Acorn Gathering: Writers Uniting Against Cancer. Though born in New Orleans, he calls Texas home.
Thanks, Amy, for this review of my book!