Irish-born writer/musician Colum Sanson-Regan has released a really captivating collection of
short stories. “In the foothills of a great mountain range, a mother and daughter struggle with the
consequences of a life-changing accident.” “In Eastern Europe, an orphan is taken by a young
preacher who wants to build a Ministry in the woods.” “These and other stories tell tales of
adversity, loss, obsession, secrets, triumph, and love.” That about covers it all, doesn’t it? The
writing is clear and powerful, and the author does a brilliant job of realizing a diverse array of
characters in these ten stories.

This is a good collection of stories with scope to enjoy and reflect. They have a quality where you will find more on the second reading. However, some stories resonated more easily with me and made the process of reading more pleasurable and engaging.
Others I was pleased they were just a short story as I never really warmed to them.
They all reveal a thoughtful writer with something to say about life and becoming more observant.
I preferred the first two stories and was fully absorbed by the story that reflects the title. The writing here in The Tall Owl was of a familiar setting and the descriptions brought it alive for me where other locations in the stories were more ambiguous and less welcoming.

I always like to seek out new authors and I was overall impressed by his work and story-telling ability. The last story let the collection down for me with grammatical errors regarding the names of characters and the sense of an unrealistic scenario. But for this story I would be recommending the book wholeheartedly. So it is with this reservation I reflect on this book and remain to be convinced of the author’s true worth and feel less committed to reading a longer novel.

A good, solid collection of short stories. The stories flow nicely, and have a nice otherworldly vibe to them. Recommended!

#TheTallOwl #NetGalley

I have to admit that short stories are not something I would go for on daily basis but when I was offered THE TALL OWL AND OTHER STORIES by Colum Sanson- Regan I did not hesitate is saying yes. There was just a feeling I had and my hunch was right. I loved every single story and the characters are all so unique. I felt like every tale had a life lesson to be learned and the ending is left for us to build, however find fit.

As soon as I received the book I started reading and I have to admit that I couldn’t put it down. I wanted all stories to just come to me and wrap myself around each and every one of them. This is definitely a book I would recommend and an author I will follow

The tall owl
By column Samson-Regan
Pub date Oct 28
This is an online book launch with music and live readings that include short stories each stories has a different point of view with characters and everyday life. This book is a great read the stories are quite different and makes you think different about the world and people around you I loved the book it’s a great read.
I gave it four stars x

An assorted mix of tales that are sure to leave the reader thinking deep thoughts and looking at their neighbors from a different viewpoint. Each story has at it's heart a different theme that will eventually bring all of the stories together. A good anthology gives the authors a place to flex their writing skills by building a complete story with characters that have no background built with the reader. They must grab the attention of the reader and immediately project their intent while moving the story along quickly. These authors have all been successful in imprinting their stories on my conscious. As I share them with my reading circle and the library group, we will see how everyone else interprets them.

dnf at 20%

trigger warning (only for the part I've read)
<spoiler> trauma, self harm </spoiler>

I basically quit after the first short story. The whole time I had the feeling something is missing, that the author goes to extrmes to show how bad off the characters are, how unique, how resilient. It felt constructed, but I wanted to like it so much because I am no stranger to tragedies that seem extreme from the outside.
But as such a person, the ending of the first short story heavily triggered me, and this is a situation (didn't like it at first and then was triggered) in which I <i>always</i> dnf if possible.

It is so easy to give content warnings. The effort is minimal, and yes, there is the possibility that you don't include everything, but if that happens you apologise and carry on as best as you can. You can at least try.

I am wondering why I am still bothering with white male authors. The times I had a good read after requesting one of their books are few.

The arc was provided by the publisher.