The anthology, Contemporary Fireside Stories, provides a fine mixture of writers-there are ‘old’, expert, veteran voices as well as ’new’, budding voices, and of stories with varied subjects and themes, ranging from historical, inward focussed pieces on adoption and child-rearing experiences to sexual assault and its effects, romantic accounts, alcoholism, street life, witchcraft, and a host of other subjects. In a sense, this new crop of fiction blends personal experiences, social and cultural happenings with love that fashions some kind of bitter-sweet, happy-sad, swing as you read the stories. It equally blends multiple levels of narration each with their own unique style in a fascinating way to tell a story; mostly in the story-telling fashion.
