Julie's Review: Grand Central

Author: Various
Series: None
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 368
Obtained: publisher
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Anthology
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Must read for those who like stories about WWII era
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab!

Summary: A war bride awaits the arrival of her GI husband at the platform… A Holocaust survivor works at the Oyster Bar, where a customer reminds him of his late mother… A Hollywood hopeful anticipates her first screen test and a chance at stardom in the Kissing Room… On any particular day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through New York Citys Grand Central Terminal, through the whispering gallery, beneath the ceiling of stars, and past the information booth and its beckoning four-faced clock, to whatever destination is calling them. It is a place where people come to say hello and good-bye. And each person has a story to tell. Now, ten bestselling authors inspired by this iconic landmark have created their own stories, set on the same day, just after the end of World War II, in a time of hope, uncertainty, change, and renewal…. ~powells.com

Review: Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion is a beautiful collection of short stories set after World War II. Each story has its own flow, its own stamp on the book but are intricately woven together to bind them together. The parts of this anthology are gorgeous but it's the sum that make it stand out.

As if you couldn't tell from the previous paragraph, I loved this anthology of stories. I don't read a lot of short stories but they were written by some of my favorite authors, I couldn't pass it up. I am so happy I read this. This book will make the rounds in my book lending circle. It is well worth the read. You could read them all in one sitting or you could savor them, which is what I did.

There are always stories that resonate with a reader and for me these were Sarah Jio's "I'll Be Seeing You", Erika Robuck's "I Walk Alone" and Melanie Benjamin's "The Kissing Room". Each one brought out a different emotion in me. It's not to say that the rest weren't wonderful because they were, it's just these are the ones that stick with me.

I also loved how Sarah McCoy brought us back to her novel with her story, "The Branch of Hazel". It touches a subject matter that she writes in about in her wonderful novel The Baker's Daughter.

You can feel the love the author's have for this time period through their stories. It is obvious they did research for particular aspects of them. For most of them I have a feeling that their stories came from something personal, perhaps family history and that is also what makes these stories hit home. 

I realize that you can't cover all aspects of the time period but I feel that to give it a well-rounded view a story about either the Tuskegee Airmen or about the black soldiers fight when they got back from the war.

If you have a love for this time period, then you shouldn't pass up reading this wonderful anthology, you might just learn something new or discover new authors like I did. 




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