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THE SEWING MACHINE AND OTHER STORIES by Michael Massee |
Humor, suspense, crime, and mischief abound in this highly imaginative collection of nine short stories and two novellas. As in his first book, Grandpa Gets a Tattoo and Other Stories (2025), Michael Massee's page-turning stories are rich with unexpected turns, red herrings, and surprise endings. A mysterious visual disturbance leads to a missing person, then to a shocking revelation. One sewing machine changes three lives-first for an abandoned Mormon wife, then for a talented teenage boy, and finally for a girl in an oppressive Indian boarding school. Difficult questions are asked: How do we relate to a neighbor with an intractable mental illness? Is "mercy killing" ever justified? What if we could choose what happens when we die? In "Affliction," a crusty, old-time newspaperman meets a warehouse clerk beset by messages from beyond, a midlife crisis, and a very overbearing mother; they team up to solve two mysteries-and along the way reinvigorate their own lives. This collection also serves up a sitcom actor with delusions of grandeur, a teenage Christmas prank gone wrong, a neighborhood murder mystery, crime-fighting birds-and a Great American Novel you can finish in only eight minutes! Massee's stories are by turns poignant and witty, thoughtful and irreverent, displaying his flair as a natural storyteller. |
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Also by Michael Massee GRANDPA GETS A TATTOO AND OTHER STORIES These page-turning stories are full of unexpected turns, shocking revelations, and surprise endings. Some feature mystical connections or supernatural powers; others reflect some of the difficult social problems of our age. Read More... |