Hello

In two novellas and seven shorter stories, award-winning author David Carpenter addresses the theme of human frailties in his distinctively empathetic style. A disabled widower seeks comfort in memory by getting in touch with his younger self. An old drunk, assisted by his own delusions, lays his ghosts to rest. A young child escapes her oppressive family by ministering to the needs of a monster in distress. A social reject acquires a new look and becomes consumed with the need for revenge against his early tormentors. A former social worker encourages a friendship with a paroled criminal. A cleaning woman in strained circumstances, determined to support herself and her child, feels compelled to make extreme choices. Some of Carpenter's characters face the frailties that come with old age, loneliness chief among them. Others become vulnerable to their own compulsions and set in motion moral dilemmas. Many of these loners reach for their phones to send or receive a message that might deliver them from their isolation, but even though they hear "Hello" from the person they reach out to, there is no guarantee of deliverance. These are tales told by a master of language, an author who uses words with skill, sureness, and grace. While his characters may not find what they're looking for, readers of these compelling pieces of short fiction surely will. "David Carpenter shows true mastery of the short story and the novella forms. The narratives are graceful and strong, confidently written by someone who the reader can immediately tell has handled language for many years, and the effect is not unlike hearing a pianist who has been playing for decades, whose fingers touch the keys with a skill, sureness, and grace not available to a less-experienced performer." - J. Jill Robinson, author of The Land of Not Knowing The Ethel Suite The Carl Quartet Reincarnation Marty Opens the Door Gordon's Idea Mallow's Course The Fuss Gentle Rain Frailing Acknowledgments About David Carpenter Available or Coming Soon