Product Description

This beautifully drawn collection of short stories features characters living in or touched by the American West. Young and old, with heartbreaking pasts and uncertain futures, these characters lead lives filled with tender compassions and incidental cruelties. The stories deal with migration in all of its nuances: the self-imposed exile of a young crab fisherman from the life he desires; an aging flower child who experiences enlightenment while waiting in the express checkout line; a veterinarian watching birds fall mysteriously from the sky; an old man who sees his life come full circle in his garden harvest. Spare, yet emotionally engaging, Migration Patterns is an exploration of the physical and spiritual aspects of moving on in life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #415485 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Rocky Mountain News, November 9, 2007
"Schanbacher's unflinching prose is also lyrical...it lays bare the deepest of emotions of the human heart."

School Library Journal, December 1, 2007
"Introspective and soul-searching, but not self-indulgent...Teens who like Ernest Hemingway or Jim Harrison will enjoy this book."

NewWest.Net
"Schanbacher writes beautifully, but not in a showy way. He builds up characters and landscape through simple, precise detail."