Amanda Huggins

This short fiction collection contains twenty-four emotionally-charged stories that take readers on a journey to households and communities in a range of countries. Through these stories, Amanda Huggins cleverly shows us the commonality of emotional experience. That feelings of isolation, love, grief, loss and regret occur in different backgrounds and cultures. And equally, that hope and the promise of a fresh start is possible. Amanda Huggins writes in a beautiful and empathetic way to immerse readers in the challenges and dilemmas she presents to her characters. As readers we care about these characters and learn from them. This is a truthful, authentic and essential read.… (más)

All Our Squandered Beauty is a coming-of-age novella set in the 1970s where the protagonist, Kara, a fisherman’s daughter struggles to come to terms with the loss of her father. She rejects the prospect of early marriage that her best friend settles for and focuses instead on future studies in London. During the summer, she spends time on a Greek island where she learns more about herself and her relationships with others. Kara can’t see that she’s emotionally fragile but gradually she learns some mistakes can be rectified while others she has to live with. The sea provides a backdrop to the narrative, sometimes powerful ‘to see the water change from grey to ink and the sky deepen to fire’ and at other times benign, ‘millpond calm, a deep deep blue.’ This is a wonderful read filled with tenderness, charm and hope.… (más)

From the opening poem to the very last one, I adored everything about this collection including the exquisite cover. With the use of startling imagery, Amanda Huggins connects readers to the context of the poem and embeds us within each one by activating our senses. The poems are fresh, vibrant and thought-provoking. Many of the poems are about relationships: from the camaraderie between teenagers to heartrending poems which relate to families and the experience of loss. Nature is ever-present with birds, fish and animals cleverly referenced in the lines. Several of the poems use the sea as a backdrop and weather conditions sharpen the prose. I loved this collection, even though I may never again feel the same about one of my favourite chocolates due to the poem, Violet Cream.… (más)