Loss
and Other Stories
by
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We were going to a farm to see the cows that Father was about to buy. Later, I stood in the chalky dirt next to the corral, inhaling smells of hay and manure, and trying to talk to the wary, sad-eyed animals, but fearful of their long-horned tossing heads. I was only half aware of voices raised in argument, but I saw the flash of the machete and Father ducking to avoid the blow. Then shouts, a scuffling in the dust, and Father, like a dancer, leaping toward the man and hitting him across the face with the barrel of his pistol. The man ran off and the others stood back. None of the men had shoes—not even a tall Negro who wore a pair of broken spurs on his scabby feet. I began sobbing and pressed my cheek against the log rail of the corral. Father put the pistol back in his belt and walked over to the man with the spurs. He said a few words and the man nodded. Then we got into the wagon and headed back home. “Who was that man?” I asked. “His name is Cecil. This was his farm.” “Did you buy the cows?” I asked through my tears. “Yes,” Father said. “And the farm, too.”
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About the Book
Sooner or later, we all face the pain of loss. In his collection of ten compelling stories, William Gould weaves tapestries of heartache and hope as a variety of characters from around the world bravely confront loss. It is 1974 when Peter takes leave from the Peace Corps and travels by train through Africa. As he embraces adventure filled with beautiful scenery and lively conversation with other travelers, Peter has no idea he is about to witness a horrible tragedy. After Isaac, Laura, and Jack answer an ad to help a medical student through his training, George brings a breath of fresh air into their quirky family. But when George suddenly disappears, they soon uncover a betrayal that none of them will soon forget. Thirty years after the Germans invaded Poland and bombed Cracow, Dr. Chaim Brodoff looks back on his life and the moment when his friend made a fatal decision. Loss and Other Stories shares a collection of vivid short tales about ordinary people facing unforeseen losses.
About the Author
William M. Gould is a creature of habit with a short attention span. He lives in Northern California where he practices medicine, plays jazz, and messes around with words. Loss and Other Stories is his fourth book.