If you afraid to shoot the general, you are afraid to be free.'

Kellough's stories ring with history, a speculative future, and an understanding of how we have existed in places that have always abused, appropriated, and alienated us.

What compelled me most through each story was how Kellough found ways to entwine his characters' dreams, journeys, and ultimate choices to the existence, endurance, and spirit of our ancestors. He uses music, family, art, inheritance, ambition, and academics to link past to present, to envision a future that is built on the indomitable spirit of those who came before, fighting for their place in the world.

He delves into generational evolution and inheritance, the desire for each generation to be able to reach further than those who came before; the search for identity and self in connection to the land of our ancestors passed and our parents and grandparents; coming of age in a society that has already categorized you; the expression of our bonds in revolutionary acts and arts.

The opening story was also impactful as it postulated a present that we are currently living, where the landscapes of cities and societies have changed so much yet remain the same in terms of barriers and expectations. A very insightful collection of stories that speaks to Kellough's observance and understanding.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

There are some really interesting stories in Dominoes at the Crossroads. I especially liked the way the author wrote himself into some of the futuristic tales as a historic chronicler of the Montreal region. Pretty interesting idea. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys short stories, especially those that deal with society, race, and other weighty topics.

This is an experimental short story collection, in which the author is semi-present and also a narrator. I learned a lot about the Black diaspora in Canada and thought a lot about colonial abuses and the reality of living while Black there. Although I enjoyed hearing the author’s voice,

I think that the audiobook confuses the distinctions between characters and timelines, especially as there is some character overlap.

Definitely worth time and attention with content notes about enslavement, racist violence, and racial profiling.

Beautifully written and poetic, Dominoes at the Crossroads is a collection of short stories and essays that all fit together. The author has an incredible grasp on language and flow and its obvious in the writing. However, some of the stories didn’t hook me and felt a bit out of place.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review