Delicate Edible Birds: And Other Stories

In my life, it is hard to find time to read, so short stories have become one of my favorite reading genres. I love peeking into other lives and times and being able to finish the experience at one sitting. "Delicate Edible Birds" is filled with a wonderful variety of stories, and I have no doubt that some of them will stay with me throughout the rest of my life. Each one is character driven and is about a woman who is in the midst of intriguing, life changing experiences. To say that Ms. Croft's imagery is strong would be an understatement. Her imagery is descriptive to the point of arousing all of one's senses and makes you feel as if you are a voyeur in the lives of each of the characters. If you enjoy reading stories that pull you into the essence of their characters, you'll love this book!

I inadvertantly forgot to send my monthly QPBC card back in time- thus I recieved "Delicate Edible Birds". I usually have varied tastes in reading from military fiction(I am a 50+ male, classic literature, historical fiction, etc. I began reading this collection while on a trip to the beach, and was very pleasantly suprised. I found myself reading late into the night to finish a story or two. I have to admit, I would not have checked off this book to order- I would have thought it was a "chick" book. I thoroughly enjoyed the collection throughout. The stories are layered, yet acccessible. I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the interwoven stories. I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys a well written story with identifiable characters without reservation. The best compliment I can give any story, is that it evokes emotion. I cared for these characters. I eagerly await Ms. Gross' next book!

I hate writing reviews. But I had to do this one. I read Groff's "Monsters of Templeton" and loved it. I was a little disappointed to hear her next book was going to be short stories. I don't normally read short stories, but I picked this up on the strength of some of the reviews it was getting. Groff is a marvelous writer. She doesn't just write, she crafts each sentence beautifully and with care. Her writing itself is like a delicate, edible bird. Perfect and lovely and a joy to devour. The stories each have strong characters with haunting stories to tell. Each little gem gives you something to ponder. Groff's stories won't leave you quickly. I hate writing reviews because it's hard for me to sum up why I like or don't like a book. Groff is definitely worth your time. The stories draw you in with their lovely, vivid imagery and intriguing characters. I didn't put this book down for two days. If you like Alice Hoffman, I recommend it especially.

Following last year's debut novel, /The Monsters of Templeton/, Groff has a short story collection that continue to show her writing ability, and here, the range of her abilities. The stories mostly follow girls and women, making changes, learning and growing. There are also themes of parent/child relationships that may mean more for Groff as she recently a mother. One of the stories, "Lucky Chow Fun" goes back to town of Templeton from her debut novel (a fictionalized version of Cooperstown, Groff's hometown), and is the story of a high-school swimmer faced with the sexual secrets of the townspeople. The eponymous story in the collection is a WWII story set in Nazi occupied France, as a female reporter has to agree to an unpleasant deal to save herself and her male colleagues. Six of the stories haven't been published before, making this collection a treat.