by Annie Clarkson
Excerpt:
Pomegranate Stories is a brief glimpse into Gay Degani’s short fiction, and I want to read more. Her writing in this collection is visceral, has punch and explores the lives of characters that are not experiencing the easiest lives or relationships. There is some beautiful imagery and description and a very insightful approach to dialogue. Even though some stories were less powerful than others, I would still say Pomegranate Stories is worth a read. More...
Annie Clarkson blogs at Forgetting the Time
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At Erin Cole Writes
by Erin Cole
Excerpt:
Gay Degani has a stunning voice, gripping and charged, and loaded with such authentic realism, that her literary stories borderline nonfiction horrors.
Beneath the anguish of hardship, Degani’s stories offer subtle hope, charm, and humor, which captures readers and pulls them into other people's lives, ones that are rich with details and character. Even if they have never experienced such conflict, the confidence in Degani’s writing and the style with which she portrays her characters’ emotions will have readers sitting in the front row. More...
Beneath the anguish of hardship, Degani’s stories offer subtle hope, charm, and humor, which captures readers and pulls them into other people's lives, ones that are rich with details and character. Even if they have never experienced such conflict, the confidence in Degani’s writing and the style with which she portrays her characters’ emotions will have readers sitting in the front row. More...
Erin Cole Blogs at Erin Cole Writes
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At Aftertaste- a Review of Pomegranate Stories
by Rumjhum Biswas
Excerpt:
When I first read Pomegranate Stories I wondered why Gay Degani, the author of this collection of short stories, chose this name for her book. She could have picked the titles of any one of the other seven stories, why specifically “Pomegranate?” Curious, I read the title story first.
“When I was seven I was stolen by gypsies.”
The first line. One crisp sentence. And I knew I had to finish the story. Right there. Right then.
“Pomegranate,” the title story, is one of the longer pieces in the collection. The narrative of the girl’s life in captivity has the staccato rhythm of a van lurching down a country road. The story, like the fruit, leaves behind a layered aftertaste. You are not sure where you can go with it, and almost unconsciously you find yourself reading “Pomegranate” again. more...
Rumjhum Biswas blogs at Writers and Writerisms
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Pomegranate Stories, a Review
by Jackie Houchin
Excerpt:
Alongside the growing number of short story collections published recently--some of them doing surprisingly well, like Grisham’s Ford Country: Stories which was the No.5 best selling hardback fiction book in 2009--comes this delicious little “sleeper” volume by Gay Degani, titled Pomegranate.
There are only eight stories, and a few of those are short enough to qualify as Flash Fiction, but the content is so startling, so intense and provocative, so well written, that it feels like a much weightier volume. The stories are about mothers and daughters (and the men in their lives), but don’t think ‘sentimental sweetness,’ think ‘raw reality.’ more...
Jackie Houchin blogs at News and Reviews
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The only thing wrong with this book is that by the end you
wish there were twenty more stories to read. The stories are inspiring, thought
provoking, emotional, and a pleasure to read. Gay Degani is a masterful
storyteller, and whether you call these flash fiction or short stories, she
skillfully hooks the reader deep and holds them fast with her eye for detail
and a feel for how to keep the interest building.
Gay Degani is one of the best writers I've found. She can use one sentence to balance an entire story on its edge, and she does it all the time. She's a finely tuned writer, someone who knows every word of her story like a friend. She is profoundly skillful in the craft of authoring stories. Her skill is hidden beneath stories that will take you away to their places, and into the deep lives of their characters. Gay is a wonder at laying bare a fictional life and reminding you so much of your heart is in that character. She is a master at cutting to the quick of emotions and then layering them with humanity. Then she presents it to you in a rythmic adventerous style that pulls you deeply into her world.
These are eight stories that will capture you.
I highly enjoyed reading this book. I'll read it again. Ms. Degani is an amazingly skillful writer who tricks you into thinking she's right beside you, at the campfire, just talking to the night.
Buy this book and let it take you to scary, gorgeous, frightened, touching, strange, surreal, too-real, wonderful human places.
The stories in 'Pomegranate' convince you Gay Degani's been in your shoes, thought your thoughts, felt your emotions. You realize that you are stronger than you thought you were, the ironies of life won't stop the rain from falling, and that we need to smile when the opportunities present themselves. Beautiful prose, beautiful stories, do yourself a favor and buy this book.
These short stories each show different types of relationships between mothers and daughters. Degani manages to fill each story with a lifetime of emotion, and she's a master at twist endings that leave you breathless.
A Kid's Review
I thoroughly enjoyed Pomegranate Stories. Each story made you want to read more. Gay Degani does not waste any words in her writing. I read for enjoyment and found this an excellent read! I highly recommend this book.
Paul
I read Gay Degani's book, Pomegranate Stories, while on the beach in Maui. I couldn't put it down until I was done...thanks for the sunburn! It was a fun, easy read and left me wanting for more. I think each of the short stories is a great start for a novel!
Vicki
Ms. Degani hits so many levels of the relationship between mother's and daughters. The highs and the lows, with the bond ever present between them. I especially enjoyed her new story, Pomegranate, showing the changing moods and emotions. It was heartbreaking. Looking forward to a full novel someday.
Jane A. Marshall
Pomegranate Stories is a must have for your reading library! These are stories about "the stuff of life". Gay Degani has a captivating writing style that makes you not want to put the book down until you finish reading the story....and then you want to go on to the next one! I highly recommend this one--it's a book worth reading!
Estelle J. Underwood
