Bright Ripples in a Dark Pool — Michael Coleman

"Coleman can certainly write. It's hard to tell if it's fact or fiction." -Michael O'Brien of O'Brien Press Ireland It has been said the Irish are at comfort in the art of Short Story telling and writing. And in the 20th Century Irish writers had numerous successes in this field, though always there was an early century feel to these stories. Many were centred round rural, even whimsical themes. This small collection by a north of Ireland writer are less parochial and venture into the outside world a little more. The prose paints pictures for the reader as the stories explore varied situations -- these are scenarios any human could find themselves in - and the reader becomes very mindful of that. In these stories there are tears and laughter - hope and hopelessness - family and strangers - friends and enemies. From the nearly mundane to the extremely fanciful make this a colourful palette of tales. All are beautifully written and constructed.