Thirteen Stories

"I have always liked short story collections, whether all stories from one author, such as this 13 Stories by John Isaac Jones, or by many authors, following a theme such as romance, horror or sci fi. This collection includes a little of all those themes in one way or another – for better or worse for the characters!

First, Jones is a master of southern charm, down- home stories and what you might call good old fashion “yarns”. Stories that hit your heart, your sense of whimsey and your memories of different times - – writing about the south of the fifties in a nostalgic and loving way. He also loves to delve into southern gothic, adding a dark, gothic twist that sends little shivers up your backbone or raises the goosebumps on your arms! Even the title – Thirteen Stories – gives a little subliminal hint that there may be something a little different inside!

I find it difficult to write reviews of short stories because you just get to the meat of the review when suddenly you are giving the ending away! And in every one of these stories you absolutely do not want to give the ending away, whether it is because of the heartfelt twist or the shivery twist! I liked them all very much, they all were engaging for different reasons, and I will just give a brief line for each one. As a whole, 13 Stories is a wonderful collection, and well worth the read! There are 6 stories that have a wicked little twist at the end, while the remaining 7 tug at your heart, while giving you a slice of life of a bygone era. Enjoy!

Going Home – Death Row comes a’knocking.

Boone – In the late forties a nurse comes to a farm to care for a dying woman, while her 8-year son learns lessons from the old farmer husband.

For the Love of Daniel – A wonderful, transformative, loving and moving story of two misfits raising an unwanted child.

Lonely Magnolia – An online dating service with a twist.

Annie – Following in the tradition of good old-fashioned southern gothic….

The Agreement – An agreement in the fifties that modern woman may balk at but was made none-the-less.

The Surrogate – Bad boy comes back.

Pauline – Road trip from hell.

Serpentus Saragossi – Never too young to know how to take care of yourself.

Tembo Makaburi – My personal favorite, Mysterious Africa – watch your step!

The Old Men – Good Yarn about a small local store through the eyes of the owner’s son.

Grandfather’s – We all wish we had a grandfather like this.

The Angel Years – A modern fable that takes 20 something years to unfold but is so worth the wait!

Overall, I think you will find this collection of Jones work will resonate with you on many levels. Finally, I wanted to say that each and every one of the stories speak to the human heart in its own special way."
--Patricia A. Adams, Amazon reviewer