WHAT NELL DREAMS by Anne Leigh Parrish
Readers and reviewers are smitten with Anne Leigh Parrish's latest book. Kirkus Reviews says “these tales are also wonderfully worthwhile, courtesy of an indelible voice that leaves a lasting impression.”
In sixteen short stories and a novella, award-winning author Anne Leigh Parrish explores the magic of life, love, and the soft boundary between fact and fantasy. The wife of an artist disappears under mysterious circumstances; a woman has the gift of taking away sorrow; another finds inner strength through writing poetry; and a great-grandmother spends the day sitting on a folding chair in a grocery store parking lot, contemplating the nature of the human heart. Literary fiction at its best, What Nell Dreams is Parrish’s eighth book of fiction.
What Nell Dreams recently garnered the 2021 Bronze Medal IPPY for Short Story Fiction and the honor of Finalist for the Indie Book Awards.
Book Details
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:978-1-950730-97-1
Publication Date: November 3, 2020
Reviews
“Anne Leigh Parrish has a gift for capturing the complex nuances of human relationships. In What Nell Dreams, a masterful collection of sixteen short stories and a novella, she once again paints the lives of ordinary human beings in all of their poignancy, magic and verve. Parrish possesses a distinctive ability for walking around in the shoes of her characters until these shoes feel like cozy slippers, and the more impressive gift of helping readers slide into these slippers as well. She is at times funny, at times wistful, but always wise and generous. What Nell Dreams proves that Parrish is a master of the short form and authority on the human spirit."
--Jacob M. Appel, author of Einstein's Beach House
“Anne Leigh Parrish’s collection, What Nell Dreams, lets readers peer into lives at that precious moment of transition and discovery. I found myself smiling in recognition as her characters struggled for connection, fulfillment and self-acceptance. If you love stories told with a deep understanding of what makes us human, read this book!”
--Pam McGaffin, author of The Leaving Year.
“Anne Leigh Parrish’s stories dispel the myth that women ages 50 and up have resigned themselves to fading into the background, ready and willing to pass the torch to their younger counterparts. On the contrary, Parrish, who is a master at creating strong and authentic female characters, gives us women who drink wine, have sex - with or without strings attached - and who are passionate seekers. They continue to long for love and to fearlessly set out on new journeys. In this top-notch collection, Parrish's story, “A Wild Feeling,” and novella, “Mavis Muldoon,” perfectly depict women who have grown wise, despite their flaws, and who still welcome change. They are never boring and certainly not about to let society dictate an age for when they should stop feeling, learning and living life to its fullest."
-- Chrissi Sepe, author of Iggy Gorgess and Bliss, Bliss, Bliss
“4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this book to women who enjoy smart, memorable stories.” – Onlinebookclub.org