claire_melanie's review
5.0
Just loved this collection of short stories. Very personal, powerful, challenging and thought provoking. Learnt a lot from reading this
jenmceditor's review
5.0
Love this author so much. If Ivan Coyote updated the phone book I'd read that... :)
proffy's review
5.0
The Short and Sweet of It
Missed Her is a short, but moving, collection of personal stories focused on Coyote's experiences as a queer, butch, storyteller living on Canada's west coast. Each essay is succinct, powerful, and entertaining.
A Bit of a Ramble
Typically when I read a collection of short stories - whether fiction or nonfiction - a few stand out as favorites, a few as giant pieces of yuck, and the rest sort of blend into moderateness. Not so with this book. I really enjoyed every story in it, and Coyote set up each tale the way I like: sort of a blend between a short story and a personal essay. I think Amy from Amy Reads said it best: "Missed her is a collection of short stories that aren’t really, in my mind, short stories the way I think of them. They are more quick memories. A collection of stories about memories, perhaps."
Each chapter (story) is quickly told, just a few pages, but the memory it is relating, the story it is telling, is beautifully told despite the brevity (or maybe because of it). Jackie Wong from Straight.com believes that Coyote's "intimate storytelling seldom grows tired, and her wry, unadorned writing style is unique in its conversational simplicity." That conversational simplicity really stood out to me as one of the joys of the book.
One of the best things about this book is the delicate balancing act Coyote plays between making this an "issues" book and just a damn good collection of stories. Cass from Bonjour, Cass! says that "this collection captures a very important image of what it’s like to be a queer person in way that many GLBTQ novels have not been able to do because they so often focus on a sensationalized idea of what being a queer person means in a homophobic society." I couldn't agree more. The stories in Missed Her are not spectacle; they feel real, sincere, and entirely relatable.
Missed Her is a short, but moving, collection of personal stories focused on Coyote's experiences as a queer, butch, storyteller living on Canada's west coast. Each essay is succinct, powerful, and entertaining.
A Bit of a Ramble
Typically when I read a collection of short stories - whether fiction or nonfiction - a few stand out as favorites, a few as giant pieces of yuck, and the rest sort of blend into moderateness. Not so with this book. I really enjoyed every story in it, and Coyote set up each tale the way I like: sort of a blend between a short story and a personal essay. I think Amy from Amy Reads said it best: "Missed her is a collection of short stories that aren’t really, in my mind, short stories the way I think of them. They are more quick memories. A collection of stories about memories, perhaps."
Each chapter (story) is quickly told, just a few pages, but the memory it is relating, the story it is telling, is beautifully told despite the brevity (or maybe because of it). Jackie Wong from Straight.com believes that Coyote's "intimate storytelling seldom grows tired, and her wry, unadorned writing style is unique in its conversational simplicity." That conversational simplicity really stood out to me as one of the joys of the book.
One of the best things about this book is the delicate balancing act Coyote plays between making this an "issues" book and just a damn good collection of stories. Cass from Bonjour, Cass! says that "this collection captures a very important image of what it’s like to be a queer person in way that many GLBTQ novels have not been able to do because they so often focus on a sensationalized idea of what being a queer person means in a homophobic society." I couldn't agree more. The stories in Missed Her are not spectacle; they feel real, sincere, and entirely relatable.
blackburnash's review
5.0
Beautifully written, very captivating. A comfort read I’ll fall back on - I’m sure. Ivan Coyote is a stellar author.
careinthelibrary's review
3.0
This was the first one of Ivan's short story books that I didn't love to pieces. I wonder why? Just less than resonated deep in me overall. Had a strong start but a less captivating ending. Onto the next one!
mitcheesta's review
5.0
This book brought me to tears on public transit.
I was blown away by revelations. Overwhelmed by truths I knew so well but never heard uttered by another person.
This made me laugh from my gut.
And grin like a fool.
I admit, not all the stories resonated but when they did, it was priceless.
I was blown away by revelations. Overwhelmed by truths I knew so well but never heard uttered by another person.
This made me laugh from my gut.
And grin like a fool.
I admit, not all the stories resonated but when they did, it was priceless.
joeybiscuit's review
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
ozhaawashkogiizhig's review
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
lindick's review
4.0
This book is not at all what I expected -- it's more like short, charming/sometimes poignant anecdotes from Ivan's real life than what I think of as short stories, and they're all really short, like 2 pages usually. But she's a storyteller so they're deceptively simple but so good and really punch you in the gut, often. I cried at least 4 times. Read it.