Lately

I read Lately once and liked it lots. Then I decided to "review" some of its stories again. Then, I noticed in some promotional blurbs on the book that the stories were "linked." I had somehow read the stories twice and not grasped that, although sometimes there was a ring of familiarity from story to story. Then, (or lately?) I got compulsive for the first time in my entire life as a reader-author-mother-whatever. I had an overwhelming urge to chart each of the characters in the stories and see how they all linked together! So I read the book a third time and listed all the characters in each story with the aid of a 6-year-old little girl here in County Sligo, Ireland, who is learning to read. She loved it when she recognized a name in one of the stories. Then, we color coded all the names and had a great time connecting the dots. Then, because some of these great little stories mentioned other authors, I was compelled to find them too and read some wonderful authors I might not otherwise have found had I not become such a "Lately-a-lite." In short, this Lately collection is amazing. It kind of ran me for awhile but that's o.k.! It was a great ride! My compulsion continues-I will have to read it yet again to make sure I did not miss a link!

I'm not gonna lie to you, I was more than a little skeptical when I picked up Lately. The cover sports a dog in a picture frame. A Lassie dog. It's not about dogs so I thought, well that's random. Then I turned to the first page. Pritchard begins this collection of 11 loosely linked stories with the line, "Full moon, first snow sticking to the pavement like confectioners' sugar on a jelly doughnut." Her use of such beautiful and unexpected language is one reason the book compels you to read just one more story, even though it's 1 a.m., even though you know you have a test tomorrow, even though you know the only thing you should do is turn off the light and go to sleep. But the thing is you have to read one more because the last story was just so good and you already read the first line of the next one and how can you stop now? Pritchard imbibes each of her stories with her own unique voice, which is quick to point out the humor in tragedy while not sentimentalizing nor downplaying the sadness of a moment. I literally laughed out loud while reading some of these stories. In particular the fourth story, "The Honor of Your Presence," about a woman throwing a divorce party with the help of her sister and a friend who is an avid collector of paint by number paintings of Da Vinci's the last supper (he has 137 of them.) The best part of Pritchard's stories is that they feel real. Some might say her characters are a little too over the top and overtly quirky, but inside aren't we all really? Her use of characters that are anything but run off the mill, her slightly skewed sense of humor, and her ability to bring out the significance of the most mundane moment are what kept me and will hopefully keep you turning the page, even if it is 1 a.m.

And once again, in light of these reviews and in the face of this talent - where is the full page ad? Where is the NPR campaign? Where is the hardback book, for heaven sake! How can I convince others to take a chance, click on "Buy Now" and look forward to meeting some of the quirkiest, dearest, darkest, sweetest, oddest characters in a bushelbasket full of stories that overflow with memory, insight, charm - and most of all - "slight of hand" craft. This is another Sara Pritchard book to be savored. If you agree with me, call a friend, send a book - pass it on. Or let me know - how do we tell the world?

Trying to read just one of the stories from "Lately" before going to bed is a lot like trying to eat just one Oreo cookie. You end up saying, "I'll read one more," and, "OK, just one more and then I'm going to sleep," and, "Seriously, just one more and that is it." Next thing you know, it's 3 a.m., you've gutted the whole book, and the prose is so rich you wish it could go on forever. From the creepiness of "A Winter's Tale" to the ebullience of "La Vecchietta in Siena," "Lately" is a treat from beginning to end.