Second Collection of Short Stories Book 2 of The Soul Series
Fictional Humor Short Stories
Date Published: 01-25-2023
Publisher: Magic Zoe Publishing
One Soul's Journey is an eclectic and extraordinary collection of short stories.
The ingredients: imagination, a dash of real life, inspiration, and lots of love. If you've read and loved her first collection, “For the Soul,” this book will delight you.
Praise for The Soul Series
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Delightfully charming short stories”
“Excellent book. A must-read”
A CHILD’S MUSINGS ON AN UNJUST WORLD
“Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin
Luther King
As a young child, I was taught early
on the difference between right and wrong, injustice, and rude behavior. Those
were lessons that followed me to this day.
Several times around the age of
twelve, we rode the rail transportation of the Rock Island Lines to ferry us
four kids back home from Illinois to Colorado after summer vacations. My
parents would drive us to my grandparents’ home, and then they would send us
back on the train.
At that time, my grandfather would
find a porter. His instructions were to watch over us. He was to supply us with
blankets and pillows and ensure we were well taken care of during our trip.
Gramps told me, being the eldest,
that ‘George’ would be nearby to help us if we needed anything. George did an
excellent job of treating us like family. I always hoped my grandfather paid
the kind, Black man for his services, but, in later years, I pondered whether
that would have been a custom of the times. I learned that all porters were
called George as it was easier for ‘White folks’ to remember one name for all
people with darker skin color. Even at my young age, I found that preposterous.
How disrespectful was it not to use a person’s real name?
Recalling an earlier event, before
these rail trips took place, our family took a trip to Arkansas to visit my
mother’s brother. I was seven years old. This was before we moved away to
Colorado. I remember how hot and sticky it was in that summer heat. Illinois
could be humid but nothing like this. The trip was miserable.
I recalled that my
uncle owned a rather large home compared to our small one, where we all shared
bedrooms. What struck me as odd was the large dining room table where we sat
for our lunch. Fancy dishes and glasses were set out for this noontime meal or
maybe to show off. The oddest of all was a Black lady in a black dress with a
white apron who served our food. My uncle would tell her what to do and say
“that will be all” while we all sat there. Even at a young age, I thought this
was rude. Didn’t these people have
manners? Why would anyone treat another person this way? My mom would have
paddled me for sure if I spoke to anyone like that.
After lunch, we strolled around the
town square to buy ice cream. Of course, I could read, and for the life of me,
I could not figure out why the printed water fountain sign said, ‘for white use
only.’ What did that mean?
Then there were signs in the window
which read ‘coloreds served in the rear.’ Finally, my questions were answered,
first by people-watching and then by explanations from my parents. This was the
way of life here. I was so shocked that I had no words. To me, people were
people. There should be no difference. How in the world could people do that
to each other?
1957-1962
true story.
And
my thoughts are still the same.
Review: In “A Writer’s Courage,” it took bravery to try a task in which one might be “rejected, criticized, ridiculed, or hurt.”
“A Child’s Musings of an Unjust World” shares a glimpse of racial inequality.
A baby sister gets lost and causes hysteria. A story from the view of a shelter dog—a dog with the uncanny ability to match the animals with their forever homes. The mysterious death of flowers. A temp agency hires an ex-con.
Short and quick, these were simply delightful reads. The author has a clever way of making you think one thing only to reveal something different in the end. Quite frankly, the flower shop stories weren’t that interesting. Some weren’t that great, but, for the most part, they were pretty good reads.
Honest and insightful, these stories are the author’s personal recollections and interpretations. These tales are full of heart. A nice collection.
Rating:
4 stars
About the Author
Barbara Daniels Dena is an American best-selling author and influential
writer of her eclectic short stories in 'The Soul Series.'
The author's stories are almost a memoir and are a unique collection of inspiring short stories of 'good ole fashioned living,' along with many past and present memories and life experiences that tug on the heart, warming stories, and fictional tall tales and doggie tails delighting readers worldwide. The books are available on Amazon Books, Kindle, and many fine online book sites.
Barbara began writing at an early age as a lover of "Make-Believe." Today, her writing has developed from memories of family experiences, various compilations of events in her life, and her love of animals. She is willing to admit that her vivid imagination plays a role in her stories. The author is an Illinois native who has lived in many places; as Barb says, like a free-spirited "Gypsy," she has lived and worked in Illinois, Washington, Idaho, and Georgia, but Ultimately, comes home settling back in the Quad Cities area of Illinois.
She is a proud mother of two grown children. She was a business owner, ran a Temp Agency, transitioned into her passion for floral design, and opened, owned, and ran several floral shops. Her favorite flower is the "Casablanca Lily." Her favorite color is Red, and when she isn't writing, Barbara spends her free time oil painting and enjoys quilting, knitting, and reading.
Her favorite book is "Death Be Not Proud" by John J. Gunther. Her first love will always be playing with her fur baby; a little Yorkie named Zoe. She continues to write from her cozy nook as she gazes over a pond full of geese and ducks. On many days it is more gazing than writing.
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