Roberta Writes – Book review: Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair

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Things Old and Forgotten by [Mae Clair]

What Amazon says

A man keeping King Arthur’s dream of Camelot alive.
A Robin Hood battling in a drastically different Sherwood.
A young man facing eternity in the desert.
A genteel southern lady besting a powerful order of genies.
A woman meeting her father decades after his death.

These are but a few of the intriguing tales waiting to be discovered in Things Old and Forgotten. Prepare to be transported to realms of folklore and legend, where magic and wonder linger around every corner, and fantastic possibilities are limited only by imagination.

My review

I have read previous novels by this author and enjoyed their unique flavour and excellent insights into human emotion and behaviour. Mae Clair has been able to apply these same great writing attributes to this collection of short stories and each one is a polished and shining gem in its own right.

My three favourites stories were as follows:

1. Robin of Sherwood – This is a different take on the traditional story of Robin Hood, but retains certain of its best features such Robin’s entertaining ability to run rings around villainous authority figures, and his simmering romance with a maid called Marian. Set in a post-purge future world, the descriptions and settings are fresh and interesting.

2. Desert White – An unusual story about an elderly man and his large white dog who save the life of a youngster, Micah, who has attempted to commit suicide by slitting his wrists in his car parked in the middle of the desert. Over the course of the story, the events of Micah’s life unfold and the circumstances that drove him to attempting suicide are revealed. This is a story of self discovery, forgiveness and redemption.

3. Mrs. Conway – This is the story that touched me the most, perhaps because I know a lot of women who have battled chronic illness. Some have won and some have lost, but all of their fights have been worthy and heroic. In this story a disillusioned art teacher rediscovers his inspiration through the actions of such a woman.

This collection also includes a moving and beautifully written partial memoir about the author’s father and the impact his chronic illness had on her life.

If you like well written, varied, and entertaining short stories, this book is for you.

Purchase Things Old and Forgotten

Amazon US

Mae Clair Amazon Author Page

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

53 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Book review: Things Old and Forgotten by Mae Clair”

    1. Hi Staci, thank you for adding your thoughts on this collection. The mystical and uplifting Desert White was a general favourite I saw when I read all the reviews. I do that after I write my own. I wanted to write a little about some of the stories so I had to narrow it down or write about them all.

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  11. What a wonderful review, Robbie. It’s interesting to me the different stories readers pick out as their favorites, but almost everyone chooses Desert White. I did too. Thank you for spotlighting Mae’s new book today!!

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Hi Priscilla, all the stories are good so it is difficult to pick favourites, but these are the three that sort of ‘hung on’ in my mind and I have long been a Robin Hood fan. I think that story could be expanded into a very good novel.

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  15. Robbie, thank you so much for sharing your review of Things Old and Forgotten. I’m honored that you enjoyed the collection and delighted to see which stories resonated with you the most. I always find that so interesting. I also appreciate all the comments here and the many readers who chimed in to lend their support.
    Thanks for the fabulous review. You made my day!

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Hi Mae, it is my pleasure. I really enjoyed this collection. I hope you NaNo is going well and you are churning words. I must admit that when I read other peoples reviews of your book, I find their favourites very interesting. Such a diverse and interesting community we have.

      Liked by 2 people

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