The Acorn Stories by Duane Simolke is a collection of short stories that showcase life in a small town called Acorn, Tx. All the drama you expect to find in big cities you can still find in small towns and author Simolke captures that excellently with his composition of The Acorn Stories.
The Acorn Stories presents itself to readers with a very simplistic cover. The cover has a split color cover with a gray background on the top and a solid black background on the bottom with a golden bar splitting the cover across the middle. Sitting in the majority of the black background is an image of an acorn, the namesake of the town, and this anthology – The Acorn Stories. You can also see a faint image of the acorn in the gray background.
While the cover of The Acorn Stories appears unassuming, the stories contained inside are anything but. You will quickly find yourself engaged, and eagerly page-turning to see what other exciting and fun stories are to be found within these pages.
“Acorn” is the first short story that you will find in The Acorn Stories. Alternating between Regina and Dirk this story unfolds a lament of two individuals wanting control of their relationship. Things start out good, but as time passes – resentment builds. The story unfolds with the two meeting for the first time. While things move quickly between Dirk and Regina, author Simolke showcases just how small Acorn is.
The relationship in this particular story of The Acorn Stories anthology appears to blaze on by. They quickly get together, and then it seems that things tragically quickly fizzle out. What leads to the relationship’s downfall? Is it because they both craved control? Was Regina too “clingy” for Dirk? Did Dirk not engage enough for Regina? It’s a tragedy that unfolds but leaves you with a question at the end… “Why?”
Another short story in The Acorn Stories collection – “Keeping a Secret” details the heartbreaking memories of a young man at his graduation ceremony. He thinks that he sees someone from his past, and in doing so his memories take over. He remembers the chaos, the confusion, and the drama that played out in his family as a child.
Author Simolke gives readers a glimpse into a few days of Billy Friedman’s life as his family struggled with money issues and family drama. The relationship between his parents was less than ideal, and all he wanted was to protect his mom and brother from suffering any more hurt.
One story that we found particularly fascinating is titled “Survival.” When you first start reading this particular story in The Acorn Stories you don’t quite know what to make of it. You’re introduced to an English teacher who is simply looking to inspire his students and be a good teacher. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, it is…at face value.
What you’ll discover, the deeper you go is that nothing is what it seems. Chandler gets “called on the mat” by a coach whose star player is coming up to snuff. So, he does what most of us have come to expect from coaches in small towns who want to win – they go to the “offending” teacher and have a talk with them. Inside this story is another story that will capture not just Chandler’s attention, but yours as well. Brace yourself – it’s a jaw-dropper.
“Survival” is a multi-layered addition to The Acorn Stories anthology as it details Chandler’s story and how he came back to the small town of Acorn. It details more than just that though. You get to see exactly what Chandler must survive if he is going to call this place his home and keep his job. It won’t be easy, but one thing is for sure – you’re going to be cheering for Chandler.
One story that we’re sure will be a favorite of this anthology is “Morgan La Fey.” The title is based on a kitten given to one of the characters. However, this story details more than just a story about a mischievous little cat gifted to the story’s narrator, Ms. Yolanda. The way Ms. Yolanda is utilized to narrate “Morgan La Fey” brings a large dose of humor to The Acorn Stories. You’ll be laughing out loud at the revelations that unfold in this quick story.
While most of the stories found in The Acorn Stories all come together to create a bigger picture of the town called Acorn, there are some that fall out of line when it comes to the “linear structure” of it all. These “non-linear” stories don’t take place outside of Acorn, but they go further to take you into the specific life of particular characters.
Stories like “Knock”, “Mae” and even “Flip, Turn” take on the sense of being reflective and symbolizing something more concerning the characters and the impacts that they have received on and in their lives. “Knock” specifically will be viewed as a heartbreaking story of an older man remembering his life.
But the deeper you go into the story, the closer you get to the end…you begin to realize that he resembles an aging tree. More care is needed for him, but while he is aware of change…something has changed inside of him…and this change has brought him low. “Knock” is a touching story, but it’s heartbreaking just the same.
Each story found within The Acorn Stories is unique and brings a truly interesting facet to this book overall. Readers will appreciate how all the stories tie together to create a bigger picture of not just life in Acorn, TX, but small-town life in general. Set in the 1990s, this collection of stories showcases small town life, and how change is inevitable, but also slow in coming.
The Acorn Stories will bring you a little of everything. These stories will make you laugh, they will draw tears to your eyes. The Acorn Stories will lead you to resent certain individuals within these pages for their cruelty and close-mindedness, and others will surprise you with their clever tactics and shrewdness. One thing is for sure, and that is there is a story for everyone here in the pages of The Acorn Stories.
Readers who enjoy anthologies and stories about small towns will absolutely not want to miss out on this delightful book. If you enjoy stories of new beginnings, stories with humor, and realistic characters then this is absolutely the book for you. While this book may be a work of fiction one thing that author Simolke says through one of his characters is true and that is this –
“Things grow and they change as they grow.”
People may not be trees…but in a way…we truly are.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Unique stories
- Interesting characters
- Nice amount of humor
- Keeps you coming back for more
Cons:
- None of merit
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