Author: Hans M Hirschi
Genre: Crime, Thrillers and Mystery, LGBT, Humour, Romance and Relationships, Short Stories, Literary, Adult
Published: 9th July, 2016
Length: 78,000 words (254 pages) approx.
ISBN: Paperback: 978 1 78645 059 3 / eBook: 978 1 78645 060 9 / ASIN: B01GMVWN46
Formats: ebook (epub, mobi, PDF)
URL: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=publications&id=226
"Shorts - Stories from Beneath the Rainbow" is a collection of LGBTQ-themed short stories. In happy or dire circumstances, this collection offers glimpses into contemporary LGBTQ life from many different angles and perspectives, and from diverse cultures -
a beggar trying to survive, the mother of a drug addict, a groom on his wedding day, a gay family running from impending war, a refugee above the Arctic circle, a bullied kid, a gay man witnessing a crime, a rushed middle-aged man, a banker in love, a lesbian mom in Las Vegas, a public servant getting ready for her intern, an Alzheimer patient in Bombay, a cop in Los Angeles, a doctor in Atlanta, a man celebrating Christmas on his own, a ruthless killer, a survivor of a WWII concentration camp
- all different, yet alike in their humanity.
"Shorts - Stories from Beneath the Rainbow" is a kaleidoscope, a colorful sample of the rainbow in its true form: life.
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This collection of short stories from Hans M Hirschi is, in some ways, very different from his previous works, the first and most obvious being that he usually writes novels, whereas the longest story in this collection - 'Nightmare' - is 10,600 words. Hans also usually writes exclusively about gay men's experience - not surprisingly, given he is a gay man. More than that, he's a vocal member of the LGBTQ community, both on and offline, and is undoubtedly an inspiration to many.
In this collection, Hans explores a number of different LGBTQ identities in different settings and from different walks of life. I won't repeat what's in the blurb (see above), but there are representations of lesbian, gay and trans* identities within these stories. In some cases, the character's identity is the main driver of the narrative; for instance, 'Alex' explores what is tragically too common an experience of LGBTQ youth, and other stories also tackle life-threatening discrimination. Then there are stories, such as 'Sandra's Grandma' and 'The Scarf', that incidentally feature an LGBTQ character.
In all, this is a fairly eclectic collection - crime thrillers, romances, family sagas and snapshots - of mostly contemporary tales of life beneath the rainbow. And just as in real life, there are gentle, loving characters who readers will want to hug and wrap up in a warm snuggly blanket, and there are characters who readers will want to throttle (with a scarf).
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About Hans M Hirschi
Hans M Hirschi has been writing stories since childhood. As an adult, the demands of corporate life put an end to his fiction for more than twenty years. A global executive in training, he has traveled the world and published several non-fiction titles as well as four well-received novels. The birth of his son provided him with the opportunity to rekindle his love of creative writing, where he expresses his deep passion for a better world through love and tolerance. Hans lives with his husband and son on a small island off the west coast of Sweden.
Website:hirschi.se.
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