"Body Language" by Marylee MacDonald is a collection of 12 short stories. They are heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking or sad. They are dramatic and told with deep rich characters involved in many different situations.

My three favorite stories were A Body of Water, a couples first love and connection later in life, The Blue Caboose is about a father and daughter and Voices about loss and love later in life. Three very different stories but all well written, easy to read. I became involved in the stories and wanted more from each of the short stories. The book is beautiful from the front cover to every one of the 12 lovely stories.

I received this ARC book from BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review. ( )

"Body Language" by Marylee MacDonald is a collection of twelve short stories. I enjoyed all of them. With each story, the author skillfully created a unique, perfect world. In many cases, I wished I had been reading the first pages of a full-length novel instead of a short story. Ms. MacDonald is able to draw the reader in to each new set of characters and circumstances very quickly, and often I wanted to read more about them.

My favorite stories were:

"All I Have", a seven-page vignette about one incident in a woman's life. I was amazed at how such a complete portrait and so much insight could be packed into so few pages.

"Body Language", a story about family relationships, both mother/daughter and brother/sister. It also addressed the very personal need for closure in a way that was simultaneously beautiful, sad, and insightful.

"The Blue Caboose", which addressed a difficult father/daughter relationship, and provided a different perspective on closure.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys quality writing. Regardless of who or where you are in life, you're bound to find something in this volume that truly speaks to you.

Five out of five chunks of provolone! ( )

I recently read somewhere that it is natural for self-described "readers" to have trouble reading in times of severe stress and anxiety such as what we are currently facing with COVID-19. The article suggested picking up short stories to help overcome the inability to read full novels. It is for this reason Body Language came to me at the PERFECT time!

I couldn't motivate myself to pick up a book. I usually cannot be found without a book in my hand, reading 2 or even 3 books a week, but lately I wasn't "feeling it." Body Language is exactly what I needed, when I needed it and how I needed it. With stories about love, loss, pasts and futures, each character and each story captivated me. With 12 stories roughly 10 to 20 pages each, I flew through this book and can't brag enough about how perfect these short stories are in our current times of stress.

*Disclaimer: a review copy of this book was provided. All opinions are my own. ( )