Keepsakes & Other Stories
Keepsakes & Other Stories by Jon Hassler, published by Minnesota Historical Society in 1999, is a collection of seven short stories that reflect the author’s early literary talent. Written during the 1970s, these narratives are set in Minnesota and North Dakota, offering a blend of folksy portraits and plot-driven tales. The stories feature a range of characters, including the crusty Father Fogarty, who is leaving his parish after 23 years, and a young boy known only as “chief” who navigates his identity on a reservation.
Readers will find a variety of themes explored throughout the collection, from the heartwarming moments of small-town life to deeper reflections on solitude and discovery. The stories include “Good News in Culver Bend,” which follows two city reporters uncovering the essence of Christmas in a small town, and “Yesterday’s Garbage,” where a garbologist stumbles upon a murder mystery. This edition spans 118 pages and is presented in English, showcasing Hassler’s ability to capture the nuances of human experience through his characters and their interactions.
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From Publishers Weekly
These seven gentle tales set in Minnesota and North Dakota and all written during the 1970s treat fans of novelist Hassler (A Green Journey; Jemmy) to the earliest fruits of his talent. Some are folksy portraits of small-town characters, while others are drier and more plot driven. Both the title story and “Resident Priest” feature crusty, 74-year-old Father Fogarty, a pastor who’s leaving his parish after 23 years. In “Chief Larson,” a seven-year-old Indian boy, known (rather improbably) only as “chief” on the reservation, rebels in a small but telling way against his white adoptive family. “Good News in Culver Bend” tracks two city reporters who travel to a small town and discover “the heart of Christmas.” “Chase” and “Christopher, Moony, and the Birds” show how frustrated residents of small towns seek solace. The former, so brief it’s nearly a prose poem, hints at Hassler’s own adolescent discovery of his talent for fiction; the latter follows a lonely 50-year-old college professor as he goes on a consolatory walk with a student’s awkward wife and child, watching “birds on family outings, hopping and halting on the grass.” The cleverest story, “Yesterday’s Garbage,” follows a “garbologist” who finds the truth about a murder in a trash bin, and is then led to commit one himself. The publisher plans to issue Hassler’s later short fiction in three more volumes, starting in the year 2000. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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