Short Stories

About the Book

The 13 short stories were inspired by historic events as well as by endangered animals. "The Golden Connection" was based on the difficulties in the building of the Golden Gate Bridge during the great depression. Three unemployed men of different social status were hired to work on the bridge and they became  lifelong friends. "Jeff's Dream" is about a young man bitten by the adventure bug and goes west during the gold rush. While on a risky, lonely path to the unknown he's befriended by a pesky raven and a beautiful Indian girl. His life was changed forever. "Hanno's Song" takes place in India. It's a story of friendship between an elephant, named Hanno, and the son of an elephant trainer. When they become separated, Hanno's experiences tested his courage and his love for a friend.  The story of "Nikos" takes place during the Greek-Turkish war in 1920. A Greek family abandons their family farm in a small Greek village in Asia Minor to avoid being captured or killed by the Turks. Nikos endangers his life to help them escape. "The Red Box" is a shoe-shine box found by a homeless young man. The red box is instrumental in the young man's  acquired wealth and locating his long-lost father. "Stormy", a thoroughbred, meets up with a young Hispanic boy after an accident  and together they became winners.  "April Fourteenth" or better known as Black Sunday is about a dust storm that devastated farms and people's lives in 1935. A hungry baby, all alone, cries while it's lying  in a ditch. "Chapel on Wheels" is a railroad car turned into a chapel to bring religion to the pioneers living along the railroad tracks. A poor, southern black family ventures to Chicago for a better life. They live in the retired chapel and discover a diary about a pastor's challenges during the wild west era.  "Maska" is  an abandoned wolf cub adopted by a family that owns a  ranch. The family strives to find ways to change a neighboring cattle rancher's disdain for wolves. "Kostas", a retired poor Greek sponge diver and a fisherman, discovers a lost treasure at the bottom of the sea. He struggles with either becoming wealthy or informing the authorities about  a national treasure. "A Crow and a Burglar" is a story about a man who's a locksmith by day and a burglar by night. An aggressive crow, fascinated with shiny objects, competes with the burglar for the stolen loot. A ruthless, greedy woman also becomes part of the problem the burglar has to deal with. "The Dream Painter" is a light story about a funny looking man, dressed like an elf, concocts magic paints to help people realize their dreams. "Qanuk" is an orphaned polar bear adopted and raised by a family. He's eventually released into the wild. Qanuk struggles to survive the consequences of climate change and man's needless fears.

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