An ‘ensemble cast’ novella with a fresh and original concept — a sequence of stories about a teacher’s pupils at a school. The students’ eccentricities, rebelliousness and vulnerabilities are depicted with warmth, fondness, and very often, an absolutely heart-breaking poignancy, as in the case of the child with brittle bones, or the young boy grieving his sister. There is black humour too, in places, and endings that are intensely lyrical. The characterisations are superbly individualised, vivid, inventive and memorable, and are written with beautiful variety of expression. A novella of immense charm that has real emotional substance.
—Michael Loveday, author of Three Men on the Edge
Early on, one of Debra Daniel’s wonderfully eccentric characters says, ‘Don’t try to figure out how it’s done. Just let it be magic.’ That turns out to be good advice. The Roster magically evokes the multifarious milieu of the school playground and the early-grade classroom. It’s filled with quirky and unforgettable characters—hyperactive twins, a boy with Tourette, a brittle-boned girl confined to a cart—all beautifully rendered through the wise eyes of a primary school teacher. These are stories told with love and wonder. They’re magic.
—Luke Whisnant, author of In the Debris Field
Paperback; ISBN 978-1-912095-95-7; 196mm x 134mm; 58pp
£7.49 GBP
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‘This novella-in-flash, a historical fiction encompassing the Second World War and telling the story of a Norwegian family from 1933 to 1970, has more epic sweep than many novels. A powerful novella of real substance, bold technique and readerly appeal, it’s the kind of literary fiction that would grace the shelves of any bookstore and find a passionate readership.’
Avery, a young widow from Iowa, travels to Nepal to connect with her late husband’s roots. Though she knows no more than that his village was called Baghmara, she’s willing to visit every Baghmara in the country if she must. But when she meets a young Nepali woman, Putali, and her mother, Khusbhu – two women also struggling to build new lives for themselves – Avery becomes more embroiled in the chaotic energy of the living than the histories of the dead, pursuing a connection far deeper than the one for which she’d been searching. Birds with Horse Hearts explores the entangled lives of three women as they navigate grief, freedom, and their own journeys to find people to call family and places to call home.
A collection of three flash fiction novellas from the second Bath Flash Fiction Award which demonstrate the range and scope of this exciting and innovative genre.
Three winning flash fiction novellas from the 2017 Bath Novella-in-Flash Award demonstrate the scope and range of this increasingly popular genre.