Off Somewhere
- 2015 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Short Stories (Adult Fiction)
Z. Z. Boone’s debut story collection takes a clear-eyed look at everyday folks seeking an undefined “something else” that they can only find by going “off somewhere” other than where they are. With his mind ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease, a man relives an illicit relationship, frightening his dedicated caregiver wife and grown son; a reluctant bride-to-be runs off somewhere over the Canadian border in search of some of “the best doughnuts you’ve ever eaten,” with her passport-less male friend hidden in the trunk of her car; a man storms out of his house after an argument and finds himself locked out of his home and his family’s life until he sees something that makes him believe his daughter is in danger. In each story, the human need for love, recognition, and self-respect leads the protagonists to some extreme, and often very odd, acts and behaviors—yet Boone’s skill is such that we come to believe, with them, that their acts not only make sense but are almost inevitable.
Boone had his first successes as a playwright but came back to fiction, his first love, after forty years. Since then, his work has appeared in many literary magazines, and his story “The Buddy System” was one of the Notables in The Best American Nonrequired Reading, 2014.
Reviewed by
Kristine Morris
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
