Enjoyable and Interesting Collection

This collection of short stories about Bulgaria was very interesting, and I recommend reading the acknowledgements as it includes distinctions between historical facts and fiction.

A few of the tales showed the same characters crossing paths with each other, and it was neat to switch POVs and explore their lives in more detail in other stories. The tone of the stories varied, keeping me engaged to read more than one at a time.

“The Volcano” and “The Cave” were haunting tales, full of tension and eeriness, and the ending of “The Bear” was unexpected.

“Forgiveness” was a very emotional, complex, and tragic story about two childhood friends that ended up on opposite sides during WWII. It was thought-provoking and heartbreaking, and honored lives lost by sharing lesser-known history. After such a heavy piece, I was grateful to read the final tale, which was lighter and tied multiple characters together from previous stories, giving me a sense of resolution.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting collection.

ARC provided by the author. Opinions are my own.

Originally posted on Goodreads.