Absalom's Mother and Other Stories [Paperback]

Louise Marley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2007

Louise Marley's first collection includes ten science fiction and fantasy stories, most with a feminist take. Due to Marley's background as a concert opera singer, many stories have music at their heart.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Marley's first collection covers a wide range of the fantastic with a keen eye for human character and motivation. The title story, inspired by the biblical fate of Absalom, concerns a group of women on a distant planet who sacrifice themselves to save their children from being taken away to war at younger and younger ages. "Starchild Wondersmith" gives entirely new life to the situation of the kid trying to fit in at a new school, for Starchild is a True Being; since he isn't getting the expected TB powers, he chooses transfer to a normal school and discovers hidden depths. The volume closer, "Deep River," tells of the marvelous meeting between the greatest operatic voices of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, one of them a naturalized American originally from Germany, the other a young black woman from Harlem. Marley's narrative voice is strong, and her focus on characters and emotional depth pays off in a set of satisfying, thought-provoking stories. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Marley digs into the heart of her characters, managing to create living, breathing people upon the page. -- PurplePens.com, May 6, 2007

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Fairwood Press, Inc (April 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978907833
• ISBN-13: 978-0978907839
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,926,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a former concert and opera singer, now indulging my taste for the dramatic by writing fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction with a dash of the fantastic. Under my own name and my pseudonym, Toby Bishop, I've written fifteen books and compiled a short story collection, ABSALOM'S MOTHER AND OTHER STORIES. My newest novel, THE BRAHMS DECEPTION, a story of time travel, has just been published by Kensington, and is the culmination of my years of fascination with Brahms and the beautiful, enigmatic pianist Clara Schumann. I love combining music, history, and fiction!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable collection with a few flashes of brilliance, February 16, 2008

By 

Ashley Megan "amazonfox" (Vernon, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Absalom's Mother and Other Stories (Paperback)

I liked this collection, but I was disappointed that I didn't love it. I was blown away by author Louise Marley in her books "Terrorist of Irustan" and "The Child Goddess"; mildly impressed by "Maquisarde" and "Glass Harmonica."

The stories in "Absalom's Mother" veer back and forth between the two categories. The title story (in which a group of ordinary women go to heroic lengths to save their children from a cruel military draft), "Diamond Girls" (in which the first two women ever to play major league baseball face each other and their detractors), "Jamie Says" (the heartbreaking tale of a boy living in a community with no women), and "Gathering Genius" (in which a musical prodigy learns that her fears and her gifts are inexplicably tied to mysterious memories not her own) are examples of how Marley at her best uses a strong and believable science fiction framework to craft brilliantly controversial and biting social commentary. Each of these stories is designed not just to entertain, but to make us wonder and to make us think about ourselves and our world. They are powerful, thought-provoking, and yes, well-written and enjoyable stories, just the kind of writing I have always admired in Marley.

Unfortunately, the remaining stories are a decidedly mixed bag. "Small in the Saddle" and "Starchild Wondersmith" would make good YA fiction, but just feel out of place in this more mature collection. The story of a medical professional squaring off against Death has been done before, many times, and didn't need to be repeated in "Night Shift." "Body and Blood" started brilliantly, but just fizzled away at the end. And there was nothing particularly wrong with "p dolce" and "Deep River," but there was nothing exciting or provocative about them, either.

All in all, though, I enjoyed this anthology. There are stories I will read again and again, for the pleasure and insights they give me. While I would have liked to see more consistency, I will settle for the flashes of brilliance to be found in "Absalom's Mother."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master of the 'short story', July 3, 2007

By 

Judy L. Campbell "JC" (Newport, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Absalom's Mother and Other Stories (Paperback)

I have been reading Louise Marley's books from the beginning of her career as a writer and have enjoyed all of them, however, I was really blown away by this compilation of 'short stories'. They say that the 'short story' is difficult to master but Ms Marley does a fanstastic job. It's all there...the intrigue, the character building, the sensitivity, the interesting story line. I could not put this book down!! And every story is different. If you read it, you won't be disappointed!

Judy Campbell
Newport, Wa

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a Keeper, May 31, 2007

By 

June Campbell "Ardent Fan" (Newport, Wa.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Absalom's Mother and Other Stories (Paperback)

Each story in this collection is a gem. The stories inspire or amuse as the characters capture the imagination. It is a wonderful collection and will invite reading again and again. This is one of Louise Marleys best.