The Fiction Shelf

A wonderfully‐paced, funny and insightful story about a mother getting to grips with her son’s impending marriage. Family Stone is warm and engaging and deals with familiar issues without ever seeming trite.

This short fiction is poetic and tactile; the characters and backdrop are very real. These things combine so that the story about a Moldovan family, struggling in Stalin’s Siberian work camp, remains tough, emotional and always engaging.

Sat still and looking out, this poem surveys the day and the writer’s company and sees it how it is. It’s charming and familiar, a constant pleasure to read.