The Choir That Couldn't Sing

The short story format was easy to read and ideal for those of us with children. Something that you can come back to where you left off. It was so fun to read stories that made you laugh and at the same time helped you relate. A great read, highly recommend it.

It's rare to come across a writer who is skilled in writing good prose and can consistently puts a smile on your face. Bob Reed has both these talents and his book The Choir That Couldn't Sing is a gem. It's jolly collection of inventive and often thought-provoking stories centred around the Christian churches of North America - but don't let the religious connection put off anyone, like myself, who does not own up to having any religious commitments! The title story tells of the silent choir, made up from a motley crew of oddball characters gathered from a Methodist congregation, formed to accommodate the deaf and hard of hearing. Crisply written, full of wit, Bob he brings his characters to life with wonderful descriptive clarity as we read how this cutting edge choir learnt to sign and helped swell the congregation. Another of my favourites is The Great Episcopalian Bear Hunt. A newspaper editor with a penchant for crazy ideas, devises a plan to head north to Canada, bag a bear and bring it back to the church for a fund-raising BBQ. The idea is not without its critics and the adventure goes badly wrong when the editor and his fellow hunters, fail to even spot a bear. To save face they buy a dead bear from two Native Americans, purchase enough bear meat in the Candadian outback to feed the town and head home to brag about their adventures. The barbecued bear is a hit, funds are boosted sufficiently to pay for a new church roof but problems begin when everyone ends up with food poisoning. Bob came late in life to writing his collections of amusing short stories. Better late than never. Keep it up Bob, we're waiting for your next project.

It was such a refreshing book of short stories. I laughed as I read these stories.

An amusing and humerous book. An easy read and one can readily identify with whom this might be in your own church. Is especially fun for those who are familiar with church life in the Midwest. Lots of fun "jokes" that can easily be related with persons you know.

Highly recommend this wonderful book of humorous short stories by Bob Reed. I couldn't put it down and read it cover to cover within 24 hours. It is a MUST read for anyone who grew up or is familiar with rural life in the mid-west; but it also travels as far afield as American Samoa It brings back real memories of mid-western life in the "old" days. Don't miss this one.