A feeling rose within her during that silence, a feeling that, somehow, there could be a way. Somehow, they could step beyond. Somehow, they could meet the deep life, the life they had both thirsted for, that they had both feared…
A woman’s extramarital affair elicits new doubts about her life. A melancholy man takes a bus trip to Key West. The weight of missed opportunities falls on the shoulders of a twenty-eight-year-old. A church closes down in a small New England town. An office worker obsesses about a voicemail. A young wife afflicted with debilitating headaches notices strange things happening in her house.
Kaleidoscopic in range, the stories of The Other Side explore our personal connections and disjunctions, our victories and defeats, our revelations and disappointments.
The Other Side is available now at Amazon (and on Kindle) and Barnes & Noble and at bookstores.
Read more about The Other Side.
What others are saying about The Other Side:
“With profound storytelling…[that] will resonate well with readers, The Other Side is a must addition to any short fiction collection.”—Midwest Book Review
“I love Finan’s quirky characters and unusual stories…[‘Motley Black’] is so hilarious, and so relate-able. I mean, how many of us can think of all the times in this world that we just want to be left alone, but in trying to do so, end up completely opposite?…[‘An Aria of Windrows’ is] so true to the human psyche and the way we pick at things and break them down until there’s nothing left…I loved this book.”—Maria Perez-Martinez, Good Choice Reading
“[Finan] writes achingly realistic fiction that speaks eloquently through the clipped or choked dialogue of its suffering characters…Impressive.”—Hungry Like the Woolf
“The Other Side by E. Thomas Finan is a thin little book, but it carries a surprising weight and depth….the stories’ themes always carry the reader inside to territory that lies behind the veil of a character’s psychology, that tentative untouchable place….This solipsistic nature is a sort of loneliness we all experience, but E. Thomas Finan brilliantly illustrates this human quality with characters that are so real, they become a part of you as you read them…and therein you find yourself not so alone.”—Lee Libro, Literary Magic
“In all, these seven stories allowed me to tarry through experiences clouded and discolored by thoughts that sometimes left me paralyzed….E. Thomas Finan, through his dynamic imagery, grabs you by the hand and pulls you along a spiraling journey in this masterfully crafted anthology.”—Melody Ballard, Fiction Addict
“[Finan] is obviously interested in big ideas. At its most successful, the collection transforms these big ideas into something concrete–sometimes, poking fun at its own obsession, as in ‘Motley Black.'”—Jon Morgan Davies, Short Story Reader
“The Other Side is a slim but powerful book of short stories from first-time author E. Thomas Finan. These stories have a wide range of characters and major plot points, but they all have one thing in common and that is the exploration of what it is to be human…It is a good collection from a promising new voice in fiction.”—Heather O’Roark, Book Addiction
“The characters in Finan’s stories could be based on your neighbor, your co-worker or even you! They are that realistic. I felt like I could look to anyone I knew and find someone that fit Finan’s characters. [This is a] a collection of short stories that, individually, read as a complete story, but…each one could also be made into a full length novel.”—Literary R&R
“Finan’s mood’s glum more than chipper. Yet, these modestly told, straightforward short fictions manage to wrestle some redemption for some of those trudging through daily tedium….[The] title story wraps up this small volume with a narrative reminiscent of O. Henry combined with Stephen King.”—Blogtrotter
“Upon reflection, the seven stories in this collection appear to be more different than alike. The lengths vary. The focal characters are both male and female. They’re rich, poor, and in between. They cover the full emotional range, from happy to sad. Yet the collection holds together because they all seem real, both the people and their tales.”—BigAl’s Books and Pals
“Finan experiments with a variety of voices and styles in bringing his characters to life and, because he is a strong writer with a talent for dialogue, he mostly succeeds….I’m looking forward to more of Finan in the future.”—The Literate Man
“I read almost the whole thing in one sitting. I found it well-suited to such a reading. It kept my attention through the gearshifts that happened with each new story, but the collection as a whole still felt cohesive. There are some really good recurring themes: silence, change, uncertainty. The writing is excellent.”—The Blue Bookcase
