Erica Winchat, a young writer overwhelmed by the stress of her first book contract, discovers thirteen curious items tangled in the flotsam on the Scottish beach of Traigh Lar. Erica tells the intriguing story of the owner of each of these items, uncovering a series of dramatic events-from a Chicago widow's inspiring visit to Quebec City to a shrimper's daughter facing Tropical Storm Ruby in North Carolina.
The thirteenth item, a concert laminate badge, inspires Erica's novella Fan Girls, in which the separate stories of four fans of the Scottish rock band Datha unfold in first person, culminating in their reunion at a concert in Chicago-a show where a shooting takes place.
Dianne Ebertt Beeaff is the award-winning author of five previous books. Her poetry, watercolors, graphite drawings, and magazine articles have been featured throughout the United States and Canada. Dianne and her husband, Dan, reside in Tucson and are the parents of two children.
Title: On Traigh Lar Beach: Stories
Author: Ebertt Beeaff, Dianne
ISBN: 9781631527715
Binding:
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication Date: 2020-11-26
Number of Pages: 248
Weight: 0.3201 kg
2022 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite in Short Story
2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, Second Place, Collection of Short Stories2021 Arizona Authors Association Awards Second Place Fiction2021 IAN Book of the Year Awards Winner Short Story Collection
2021 International Book Awards Finalist Short Story Fiction
202 Readers Favorite Book Awards: Gold Medal, Literary Fiction
2021 American Fiction Awards: Winner, Short Story Fiction
2021 National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest At-Large First Place Collection of Short Stories Written by Entrant; National Contest Second Place
15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards Finalist Short Stories
2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner in Short Stories
2021 Pinnacle Book Award Winner in Short Stories
2020 Kops-Fetherling Book Award Gold Winner in Popular Fiction
2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist in Adult Fiction
An ambitious ocean-spanning collection of objects and tales . . . . Beeaff's prose is of such high quality, page to page, that readers won't want to put it down.
-Kirkus Reviews
The short stories of On Traigh Lar Beach share a haunting atmosphere . . . that covers women's experiences with woe and redemption. . . . Resurgence in the face of waste, loss, and desolation form an axis around which the stories pivot, while the stories' heroines exemplify determination and charisma. Focusing on one item or woman at a time, the book crafts a message about universal longing, and, though there is death in the collection, a hopeful tone pervades it.
-Foreword Clarion Reviews
Starting with her description of the harsh and beautiful landscape of the Scottish islands, Beeaff takes us from New Orleans, up to the tip of Newfoundland via such spot as North Carolina, Maine, and Quebec City. The stories are satisfying tales about human relations and interconnections. . . .The settings-highly detailed, visual, and atmospheric-are themselves worth the price of admission. A travel adventure in their own right.
-The Arizona Daily Star
I recommend this book to readers of feminine fiction, readers who enjoy short stories and lyrical prose, and music aficionados . . . . Like a message in a bottle, On Traigh Lar Beach arrived from Scotland to my hands to show me the dazzling kaleidoscope of the female experience and to remind me of the meaning behind the mundane. I hope it reaches many more readers in its journey.
-OnlineBookClub Reviews
I was immediately drawn to Dianne Ebertt Beeaff's writing style in On Traigh Lar Beach. It is free, fresh, and spontaneous yet peppered with crisp particulars of setting and people . . . . Dianne Ebertt Beeaff deserves every accolade for On Traigh Lar Beach.
-Reader's Favorite (Five Star Review)
Dianne Beeaff has a keen eye for specific settings and an uncanny ability to express the unique concerns of people from a broad spectrum of humanity. On Traaigh Lar Beach deeply satisfies because its vivid descriptions pulled me into the characters' experiences and kept me wondering until I reached each of her stories' unexpected, but not illogical, conclusion.
-Carol Sletten, author of Three Strong Western Women and Story of the American West: -Legends of Arizona
On Traigh Lar Beach is rich in lyrical prose and stunning detail and takes a poignant look at human connectedness, how unremarkable items are mirrors of lives an ocean apart, yet link us in the most human way.
-Susan Haught, award-winning author of A Promise of Fireflies
Richly written, thought-provoking, and utterly compelling . . . Every story is full of tiny twists and turns, and every story has a thoughtful ending. In many ways, this is the sort of book that would go down well with a reading group; there's so much to discuss, so many links to explore.
-A Wishing Shelf
So creative and original.
-Life Between the Lines
I haven't read anything like this before. It has that flow that draws you in and leaves you thinking about it long after you've read it. And as you read it, you feel as if it is both something brand new and something you can relate to.
-Ya, It's Lit
On Traigh Lar Beach is an engaging and beautifully crafted short story collection readers of Karen Russell and Curtis Sittenfield will devour.
-Silver Reviews
When Dianne Beeaff was walking on Traigh Lar Beach in the Scottish Hebrides, she noticed several motley items tangled in the seaweed and she wrote down notes for a short story collection. These beautifully written stories in exotic locations are haunting and thoughtful.
-Book Addiction
If you are a fan of short stories, this is something you will very much appreciate. Each story is well crafted and offers the reader something that they will feel transported by.
-Kleffnotes
The descriptions of these short stories are vivid. I've never been to Scotland, but the descriptions make you feel as if you are there with the characters. I googled the name of the beach and it's beyond stunning.
-Openly Bookish
The author's concept of interconnecting various objects and pieces of the story held my interest. Not only were things connected to each other, but they also somehow were independently part of a story. I am going to look for more by this author, as I truly enjoyed this book.
-Cristie Underwood, Bookseller
An exceptional collection of short stories and a novella delivered with a skill and technique rarely experienced.
-Sublime Book Review
Beeaff handles difficult topics with sensitivity, making for a heart-tugging read, and her expert use of language enhances the realities of her characters' lives.
-BookView Review
