Stories and Places I Remember: A Collection of Short Stories Review

Humorous and poignant, Stories and Places I Remember will take you around the world from the streets of Brooklyn to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

About Stories and Places I Remember: A Collection of Short Stories

Humorous and poignant, Stories and Places I Remember will take you around the world from the streets of Brooklyn to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Meet Anthony in 1950s and 1960s Brooklyn, then journey with a host of other delightful, contemporary characters portrayed in twenty-six tales set in New York, Texas, Brazil, Greece, Ireland, the Middle East, and Italy that will tickle your wanderlust.

My Thoughts

A wonderful, entertaining collection of stories that starts in the streets of Brooklyn and takes you around the world. I first thought it would be a collection of his own stories from his own youth, so I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed that the adventures were a collection of stories from different individuals.

While each story is different, I loved how Joe put them together in such a personal manner. He draws you into their story, making you feel as though you are right there and re-living that moment in time with them (I found so many similarities to some of my older family members in the first few chapters!). At times I laughed and at times my heart was sore for the individuals and the stories. I found that many of the stories had an interesting lesson attached to it that we learn as we get older.

Each story is short but you feel a connection to the individuals and their story. I love how Joe manages to make each story flow, it never felt choppy or awkward. You can read the stories all in one sitting or come back and cherish each story over time. This is an excellent collection of short stories that will make you laugh, warm your heart and make you tear up.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo and Google Play.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Joe Giordano was born in Brooklyn. His father and grandparents immigrated to New York from Italy. He and his wife Jane now live in Texas.

As a former 3M International Executive Vice President, Joe experienced the global cultures and locations he writes about.

Joe’s stories have appeared in more than one hundred magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, and Shenandoah. His novel, Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story (2015), and Appointment with ISIL, an Anthony Provati Thriller (2017) were published by Harvard Square Editions. Rogue Phoenix Press published Drone Strike in 2019.

Joe was among one hundred Italian American authors honored by Barnes & Noble to march in the 2017 Manhattan, Columbus Day Parade.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.