Title: Crossroads of Souls
Author: Charles R. Kuhn
Publisher: LitFire Publishing
ISBN: 978-1643981918
Pages: 206
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Alyssa Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
If there was ever a place of commerce which spoke to the very heart of humanity, it would be an antique store. A clash of history and culture, the antique store is a place which has everything from family mementos to pieces of local history and more. Yet it’s not the items themselves that necessarily call to people, but the memories and experiences they represent.
In author Charles R. Kuhn’s Crossroads of Souls, the author explores this unique setting through a series of short stories set in an antique store. The stories follow individuals from all walks of life, each who have experienced various hardships or struggles, and some who have become the source of that hardship. Through their eyes, readers are treated to surprise journeys that take these individuals on an emotional rollercoaster, tied together by the mysterious older woman who runs the shop.
The author did such a remarkable job of capturing the unique atmosphere of each story and the protagonists who brought these stories to life. The way the author wrote is very artistic and compelling, drawing the reader in more and more as each story progressed. The almost poetic language which each story had presented an art house film quality to the writing that felt transportive, giving the reader the chance to not only enjoy the stories but become lost in them; having the overall collection a very magical yet human quality to it. The balance of each story feeling self-contained and yet the overarching role that the antique store and the mysterious woman played in every story made the importance of the short tales feel grand in design.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy fictional tales, especially those who enjoy elements of magical realism, surrealism, drama, and short story collections as a whole. The heart of each story seemed to be in the character development, as no matter how magical the scenery or the story itself become, the root of each tale was in the humanity each character embodied, both good and bad. The passion and realism the author poured into each character allowed readers to either identify with – or at least recognize – the kind of people they represented in their life.