Like a Flower in the Field

About the Book

A strong sense of place and its impact on our lives runs through this collection of twenty stories and two one-act plays. Spooner begins with “Chasin’ the Bird,” a story of brotherly love and near tragedy set in San Francisco, the music of an aged street performer providing the soundtrack. In a Sacramento suburb, “And Spare Them Not” is a tale of vengeance for the murder of a ten-year-old girl. In the mythical town of Millers Forge, “Fireworks for Mickey” tells of a family forced to deal with death and unresolved issues from the past. Spooner closes with “Moral Imperative,” a story of moral and ethical choices set in Orange County, California, fireworks from Disneyland booming in the distance. Places leave an indelible mark on our lives, but do we leave a mark on the places we’ve been? This is the central question in C. W. Spooner’s second collection of short stories. “Aging, wisdom, remorse, poignancy, what it means to be a man in a changing world—it’s all there in twenty-two unforgettable stories, told with elegance and sensitivity. I picked up the book on a sunny morning, looking for a brief diversion, and didn’t put it down until I’d finished” (Casey Dorman, editor, Lost Coast Review, author of I, Carlos, Finding Martin Bloom, and Murder in Nirvana).

About the Author

C.W. Spooner was born and raised in Vallejo, California. He is he author of ‘68 – A Novel, Children of Vallejo – a collection of short stories, and Yeah, What Else? - a collection of essays, memoirs, poems, and reviews. His stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Monday Update, The Storyteller, Spitball, Lost Coast Review, and The Main Street Rag – Anthology 2017. Spooner lives and writes in Aliso Viejo, California.