A Hummingbird in December

Stories of human experiences. "Kathleen Katon Tonnesen''s new collection of short stories, A Hummingbird in December, is bookended by a matching pair of poems from which this volume draws its name. That is perfectly fitting, because the six short stories within her book are woven together beautifully with the silver and gold threads of poetic writing throughout. In the story "Comparison," Tonnesen finds the poetry in night time: "the mountainous horizon etched black against a starlit sky." In another story, "Chilliwack Pie," she observes the land from a Cessna 172 in the air: "the red cranberry fields transform into a patchwork quilt embroidered with gold, interrupted only by the reflecting waters of the winding Fraser River." Tonnesen also has a fine ear for the dialects and nuances of speech among her characters. My favorite story was "Seahorses." But the reader will find wisdom, fine storytelling and lovely writing throughout this book." - Richard Merli, Editorial Director, October Hill Magazine, New York, USA.