The Earth and the Sky: Stories

Rating:
Summary: Excellent short story collection
Review: The 15 short stories in this superb collection represent a wide variety of characters and cultures. While the stories take place in mainly rather exotic locations--Taipai, France, Italy, the Grand Cayman, Chili, Montreal, and Japan, the themes are universal and face humans across the globe.

One of the main themes threaded through the collection is loss--the characters struggle with loss of culture, loss of independence, loss of the self, loss of a parent or a child, and the loss of love. Some of the characters experience loss while driven by acculturation, duty and family loyalty

My favourite stories--in order--are: "Ingrid, Face Down," "Core Puncher," and "Snow Angels." And it was not an easy feat--either making the selection or putting them in order. These three stories are unforgettable.

"Ingrid, Face Down" is the story of a schoolteacher who finds herself taking a long weekend getaway alone--and not with her boyfriend--as originally planned. The author creates a languid pace with language as the teacher, Ingrid, gathers the courage to try scuba-diving. Ingrid physically explores the silent beauty of the ocean while simultaneously analyzing her inner, emotional life and the inevitable shortcomings of her romantic relationship with her duty-driven boyfriend.

"Core Puncher" is the story of a grieving parent who spends her holidays chasing tornados in Oklahoma. Family and friends simply don't understand the drive--or the need--Lillian has to face death and then record the event. Lillian meets a fellow traveller on the road, and they share a moment of recognition.

"Snow Angels" takes place in France and concerns a quartet of young students--Kate (the narrator), Matthew, Aaron, and Dave who meet and befriend a fellow American, Daria. Daria finds herself abandoned in a strange country, and she quickly joins the group. However, Daria's presence upsets the existing dynamic, and both Matthew and Dave find her rather annoying. Kate's relationship with Aaron is also spoiled by Daria's presence, but some serious lessons await them all when they leave for a skiing holiday in the Pyrenees.

For many years, I've found that reading short stories is a tried and true method for discovering new authors. Some authors I have discovered through reading short stories ... To this list, I shall now add Debbie Lee Wesselman. As a reader, I am in awe of a talent that can create a perfect, unforgettable tale within the structure and confines of the short story format ...

Rating:
Summary: Vivid collection of stories. (mazza review 03-15-04)
Review: The Earth and the Sky by Debbie Wesselmann is a collection of gently written short stories all relating to the theme of loss, displacement and assimilation. Wesslemann's character's deal with the difficulty of going from one cultural situation to
another and how languages, customs and conventions can be mired in mental struggles. All of these stories deal with moving out from the familiar and getting into the unknown which I believe is the underlying theme in these stories. The fear of the unknown and the triumphs of making the unknown familiar. In Ingrid, face down the main character's has this intense fear of the ocean and space. She has great difficulty getting into the ocean on a vacation trip. A trip that her and her boyfriend, Max were supposed to take together. But it is because of the Max's unwillingness to move out of her mother house that their relationship has broken down.

In Life as a Dragon, the main character Ming Li who is from China is about to marry her fiancé Warner. Her experiences deal with culture clashes of the east and west how she slowly assimilates and accepts her new family and her role as a bride.

I found the imagery contained in these stories to be quite vivid and colorful. The ocean imagery in Ingrid is very fluid and carries a lot of emotional weight. The narration
of these stories(whether in 1st or 3rd person) are handled with a clean delicacy.

Overall I thought this collection was a fine read and each of these stories can be read in one sitting. Wesselmann is able to take the ends of the earth and fold them into each other.

Rating:
Summary: Exotic Locations & Cultural Views: Stories about People
Review: The title of the book, "The Earth and the Sky: Stories" reminds me of either the Orient or Native American folklore. Reading several of her stories I learned much about the Chinese culture, specifically within the setting of Taipei as in "Dance of a Falling Comet". She writes with crystal clear precision, capturing details of feeling and thought using a unique pallette of different colors. This story even had a sequel which completed the ideas and themes started by the other. The first story is set in Italy, where an American family rents a villa. The family includes two young daughters, Hannah and Jenny. There is a young lady who manages the villa and a wonderful horse named, Nocciola who becomes the hero in this very pleasant story. "Stone Daughter" takes place in Japan. An American woman returns to Japan, which is the ancestral home of her husband. He is the oldest son who must assume responsibilites for running the family pottery business. This intercultural marriage is filled with interesting insights and behaviors expected of the Japanese. Another story is set in the Grand Cayman Islands where snorkeling reveals the risks associated with viewing the wonders beneath the ocean ... The story which is set in Toulouse, France develops some unexpected twists and turns with a very surprise ending ... "Life as a Dragon" reveals a lot about cleverness and using one's intuiton with honor. "Down Under the Lake" is a story about a pre-teen girl whose parents are divorced who goes out boating with her older brother and the serious temptation which she survives. "Core Puncher" is a story about Lillian who chases tornadoes for excitement - she chases them from Oklahoma to Texas trying to capture them on film and video. There is a hidden reason behind her need to challenge nature ... This one brought occasional tears to my eyes as I learned more about Lillian and her life. All of the stories are marvelous, with vivid descriptions of people, places, and events that reveal feelings and values from different perspectives. Not all the stories end the way the reader expects ... The scintillating events about which the author writes, reveal the great depth and understanding she posseses. Sometimes there are competing emotions or values which must be resolved. She capures complex emotions that occur within specific social and cultural contexts. These stories are like delicately chiseled sculptures ... each is unique and must be looked at from different angles to be fully appreciated. It is highly recommended. Erika B.