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In Minta Sue Berry's insightful short stories, the men and women of
Shiloh--a small, southern town of the sort that readers of Eudora
Welty or Peter Taylor will recognize--grapple with what it means to
be part of a community. Sometimes they struggle with loneliness and
isolation even among circles of family and friends; at other times
they try to distance themselves from those who do not share their
habits or beliefs. But ultimately, through sometimes quiet--and
sometimes surprising--moments of self-discovery, these characters
come to feel and know the qualities of kinship.
Written in fluid, lyrical prose, these stories trace patterns of
disappointment, fear, and despair in the intimate spaces of
everyday life. A new mother yearns for acceptance in her family and
wonders what life will hold for her and her baby. A young boy
escapes the unhappy world of his troubled parents by creating his
own reality, one in which he finds approval and stability.
Many of Berry's stories concern characters moving toward a better
understanding of themselves. Brother Billy, a traveling preacher
"who never had a bad thought in his life," comes to Shiloh to save
souls and to tell the congregation what they want to hear so that
they can feel secure in their lives. But when Lottie Lee--a
fiery-haired woman with a personality to match--crosses Billy's
path, he must rethink the meaning of mercy and what it means to be
one of the Lord's chosen.
Sometimes characters can only speculate about the hurts and
passions of the people around them. In "Exit Miss Tish,"
townspeople gather at the funeral home to dissect the enigmatic
life of a strong-willed woman. In "Next-Door Neighbors," a young
girl must confront her own loss before she can begin to understand
what the worries of a mother with sons serving in the war might be
like.
Berry's work paints an intricate portrait of men and women seeking
a community of understanding amid the forces of self-doubt and
uncertainty. Who is My Neighbor? offers a series of richly
expressed, deeply moving stories about what it means to judge, to
forgive, or to risk caring for others.
The Author: Minta Sue Berry, now retired, was a professor of
English, associate dean, and director of teacher education at David
Lipscomb University. She lives in Dickson, Tennessee.
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