Small Odysseys: Selected Shorts Presents 35 New Stories

When a book of short stories begins with a selection by the great writer Robert Urrea, the reader can settle in for masterful story-telling. In his story “The King of Bread,” the focus is on a difficult relationship between a father and a son. They face tough times as the father loses his job and his car. The father becomes a Helms Bakery delivery driver. For those of us old enough to remember the Helms truck, it is very engaging to then imagine the life of that always anonymous driver.

All the stories in this book are well selected in that there is something for every taste. The book’s one shortcoming is the authors’ postscripts explaining each story’s premise; it is unnecessary and somewhat condescending to readers.

The stories are divided into thematic sections such as departures, journeys, and new worlds. The stories of immigrants are particularly timely and interesting. There is a fanciful story about dandelions, which raises them above their common definition as weeds. It is a very good collection that is well worth reading.