Title: Bonds of Love and Blood
Author: Marylee MacDonald
Publisher:  Summertime Publications
ISBN: 9781940333093
Pages: 250, Paperback
Genre: Short Stories

Hollywood Book Reviews

Bonds of Love and Blood is a stunning collection of MacDonald’s previously published and award-winning short stories. More than half her compilation have either received high recognition or won titles. Among a list of accolades, MacDonald’s awards include the Barry Hannah Prize, Jeanne Leiby Award, the Ron Rash Award, the Matt Clark Prize, and the American Literary Review Fiction Prize. Aptly titled, MacDonald’s latest literary work presents humanity in its visceral form—the depth of characters’ souls—within truly believable situations.

MacDonald’s writing style encompasses two distinct qualities amid her vast and unique plot settings: complex circumstances that embody consistent themes of the human condition and oft open-ended story closures—which allow readers to decide final outcomes. MacDonald’s mix of first and third person narratives keeps to a pattern of one principal character surrounded by a foiled cast. All highly well developed and carefully placed around the globe, the principal characters fall into a wide range of ages—from teens to seniors, and who find themselves in challenging but vulnerable positions. These challenges directly or subtly push them to make choices that will personally affect them and (even in miniscule amounts) change the course of history if they choose to go there.  At the center of MacDonald’s vulnerable themes, her cast addresses an assortment of issues.

Thirteen-year-old Janet lacks assertiveness with her overbearing father in Pancho Villa’s Coin. Lana has a difficult time letting go control of her careless adult son in Key West. Oregano isn’t simply about caring for an herb as Felicia has to decide whether or not it’s worth staying married. The same goes for Leslie in Two Trains in Manmad, while The Bean Grower offers a twist to an older relationship—just to list a few examples.

While the bulk of MacDonald’s stories center around familial relationships, others are directed toward building confidence within scenarios, such as work (Billy in Proud to be an American), or unresolved conflict with an imprisoned sibling (Angela in Bonds of Love and Blood). Other particularly interesting situations include how Walter approaches the issue of self esteem in connection with his prominent birthmark in Almost Paradise, how Terrell handles racism in Weekend in Baltimore, and how Anna faces the situation with her missing adopted son in Finding Peter.

The above-mentioned descriptions are one-dimensional at best. What MacDonald puts into her tales is well worth the read—twice over, in fact—since she has this incredible ability to touch the hearts of her audience. A mistress storyteller, MacDonald effectively draws her readers into each complex character and engaging dialogue. The scenarios and characters may vary, but the emotional content breeds familiarity to life’s—sometimes daily—struggles. Closing with plenty for readers to ponder, Bonds of Love and Blood is brilliantly written and nothing less than emotive.