Truthtelling, Lynne Sharon Schwartz, author.
Having read this author previously, I anticipated enjoying the book, and I was not disappointed. Wasting few words, each story gets to the point and presents the reader with something to think about. Even the most serious of topics contains a light hand, with occasional levity, a technique I believe the author has mastered. As a reader, I looked forward to reading each one. They all inspired me to think about human nature, the world today and the world to come.
I did not rush through this book because I enjoyed reading a few stories at a time and savored them, while thinking about what point the author meant to make. Sometimes the point eluded me, sometimes, I thought I disagreed with the point made, and at other times, a light bulb went off in my head and awakened a memory of a moment in my own life. Each of the characters was unique and identifiable, but a combination of all made a complete study of a human being's approach to the whole totality of life.
Filled with emotional appeal, the stories confront ordinary people, exposing their ordinary experiences and their ordinary dilemmas. The dreams and nightmares of these everyday characters, plucked from the streets of “everyman’s” community, are explored deftly by the author. Their simple daily lives and thoughts come to life. Their approach is simplistic and symbolic of the often flawed reasoning of human beings to justify their actions.
The stories deal with a variety of subjects such as: ambition, marriage, parenting, conflicts, history, climate, the future, heartache, work, and occasionally even joy. The message is indirect as everyday life with its small details, is laid bare and scrutinized, with all the warts and foibles of humans marching across the page. What do we do when we encounter a stranger, how do we react to perceived danger, how do we cope with loneliness, how do we deal with the death of a loved one, how do we deal with a recalcitrant child, how do we deal with danger for ourselves and others, how do we repay a stranger's kindness, how do we avoid judgment and responsibility in our own lives? Do we rise to the occasion and do the honorable thing or behave shamefully? Do we always choose the easy way out and escape into a cocoon of safety? Why do we lie when faced with troubling questions? These stories raised these and many other questions for me to ponder, which is why I so enjoyed each one. They were written simply, but they were not mindless. Each short story will encourage the reader to grow and reflect on their own behavior, on their own cynicism and its opposite, optimism.
The stories are never heavy-handed. The interjection of a light touch of mockery and/or humor, here and there, provides them with appeal as each imperfect human being finds ways to explain away, and live with, their own flaws of character. The stories deal subtly with life in all of its costumes: current day political issues, mental illness, annoying neighbors, historic tragedies, etc. As each unique character comes to life, the reader bears witness to their individual approaches to the demands that face them. One character is suddenly burnt out and takes to her bed, neglecting all the things she had found important in her life and finds a new perspective. Another character wonders if he should speak to a stranger. One discovers her preference for a certain food, while another deals with her response to a kind stranger's helping hand. The reader begins to think about how choices are made. Do we sometimes make decisions by actually not making a decision, letting so much time go by that a decision is no longer necessary or possible?
The author examines the idea of honesty and honor in each story, using unique examples to highlight the way our approach to truth influences our decisions, our relationships, our jobs, our interactions with strangers and our own conscience efforts to live our lives without too much chaos. Are we capable of duplicity, betrayal, heroism, kindness? We many not have answers at the end, but we certainly will have given it thought.