Ploughshares Solos Omnibus 3

I was totally blown away with the quality of writing and the stories in the Solos Omnibus Volume 3. What a great collection. I'm not sure where to really begin, but I guess I'll just discuss a couple of my favorites and reiterate that Ploughshares is probably the best single subscription I have ever invested in - check out their site here. And if you are not a subscriber you should seriously consider it.

Villa Boheme by Kevin Gonzalez follows a 15 year old boy and he navigates that narrow ledge of adolescence between childhood and adulthood. On one hand he yearns to feel older and life with his father in a run down hotel gives him that chance - an opportunity to be away from his mother who is distracted by a new romance. However, as time wears on, he begins to see that the freedom he craves has not come quite the way he desired. It's a pretty heartbreaking reminder that teenagers are full of contrast and conflict even in their own desires. 

The Brooks Brother Guru by Alix Ohlin involves Amanda whose cousin has recently declared via facebook that he is going to live in a group home and unplugging from the world. His concerned friends convince Amanda to track him down, which she does. She explores the new commune in which he lives and wonders if she can convince herself to give up certain things in her life in order to embrace the simplicity in which her cousin now lives. It's an interesting look on how much we are willing to adapt ourselves to a certain lifestyle in order to gain the things we think are important. 

The Beginning of the End of the Beginning by Anne Elliott was also a favorite. It involves Clay, a down and out performance artist who has kind of lost his way in the life of art. He stoops to getting a day job in order to pay some bills and in doing so, alienates his girlfriend and best friend. Their vicious revenge on him makes him contemplate what he is really doing with his life. 

Other honorable mentions are Cafe Deux Mondes is timely with Syrian immigrants opening a restaurant with their African American neighbors. It's well written and the friendship between the two women protagonists feels real and not at all contrived for the plot. Pie, about a former mennonite girl who is convinced to move west with a man who buys pie in her diner only to find out he's been keeping some secrets was also well done. The girl, Kathryn, must find her own way in a post-war era. 

Such a great collection and I'm so glad to have a subscription with access to the Omnibus, because the individual stories are usually around 2.99 a piece on the website, but for some really high quality short fiction, it's worth it.

5/5 Stars.