Book Review: I Am Holding Your Hand

February 20, 2013

collins_coverI Am Holding Your Hand  is a rare treasure. This collection of short stories brought to us by new author Myfanwy Collins is a wonderful example of writing that feels fresh and intoxicating, while maintaining the sensibility of an author who writes like a seasoned pro. Many of the stories in this fine collection were previously published in literary reviews such as The Kenyon Review, PANK, and Flatmancrooked, to name a few. So it’s clear that while Collins is still new to the playing field, she is adept — and has been recognized as such — at short story writing of the highest quality.

I appreciated the number of pieces under 2000 words in this collection. So often with new writers, overwriting — both in terms of words on the page and in story arc — runs rampant. Collins proves herself skilled in offering readers the smallest glimpse into the life of a narrator which impacts as though we’ve been exposed to much more. I applaud her for her depth of vision and the way in which she accomplishes building so much within some of her shorter works. Her narratives contain a tenderness toward the difficult and the ugly, but they arrive at beautiful conclusions through masterful writing. There is a great deal to appreciate and enjoy in this collection, and I know I will return to it again and again.

Myfanwy Collins’ debut novel Echolocation is now also available.

One comment

  • Myfanwy Collins

    February 20, 2013 at 2:09 pm

    What a lovely and generous review. Thank you very much!

Comments are closed.

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At The Masters Review, our mission is to support emerging writers. We only accept submissions from writers who can benefit from a larger platform: typically, writers without published novels or story collections or with low circulation. We publish fiction and nonfiction online year-round and put out an annual anthology of the ten best emerging writers in the country, judged by an expert in the field. We publish craft essays, interviews and book reviews and hold workshops that connect emerging and established writers.



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