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Taxi Driver and Other Stories
Ebook | November 2016 | $1.99
In this collection of five short stories, Edward Faine shares snapshots of his protagonist's life as he comes of age in the 1950s. A likable character, Ned faces situations out of his control and often responds in awkward, yet heartwarming ways. These tales, written in an inviting, conversational style, offer both an entertaining read and a glimpse into a seemingly simpler time. |
Praise
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“I love these stories, especially the descriptions of Cleveland in the 1950s. 'Taxi Driver': I loved the East Side/West Side description, and how the drivers enforced segregation. The ending sounded like the beginning of another story, rather than a conclusion. I’d like to read the rest of the story. ‘A.O. Schulz Bookbinders’: This one made me warm all over. And like my mother used to say, ‘Your sins will find you out!’ A great story with a surprise ending. 'The Wedding': Ha. He got stuck, bamboozled, she roped him in like a young calf. I bet that marriage lasted a month. 'A Big Mac Christmas': poignant, very sad, and happy. 'One Thin Dime': This one's poignant as well. I loved it, too.”—Richard Morris, author, Canoedling in Cleveland “Ed Faine’s character, Ned, has given us snippets of his life story in this collection of short stories. Ned describes a day or a phase here or there along his life’s path, and we see his character developing. These stories from Ned’s life are very accessible. They are written in a conversational tone as if Ned were sitting around the campfire with us. “No single story tells us enough about Ned, and sometimes his motivations appear questionable, but the more we read, the more we begin to understand. Ned seems to allow life to happen to him. He finds himself in situations not necessarily of his own making and then deals, at times awkwardly, with the consequences. Maybe we all live like that to a large extent, but Ned seems perhaps more than most to have little control over his choices in life. “This is especially evident in his story “The Wedding,” when he agrees to marry a woman he doesn’t love just because it is easier than saying no. He may have become accustomed to this sort of indecisiveness after his unsettled childhood, when he truly had no control over the situations unfolding around him, situations that affected him profoundly. Nevertheless, Ned is very likable and vulnerable in a warmhearted sort of way. As the protoganist in his own tale, Ned lets us see just a bit below the surface to understand how he has grown into a good man—because of, or in spite of, his experiences along the way.” —Joanne Schreiner, Reviewer |