Friday, June 4, 2010

My Dog Tim: and other stories by Garasamo Maccagnone -- Book Review



Do you enjoy literary fiction with a raw, edgy side? Then pick up a copy of My Dog Tim: and other stories by Garasamo Maccagnone.

This literary collection includes the anchor story, St. John of the Midfield, Maccagnone's most popular piece of work. It is an almost mystical story of Bobo Stoikov, one of the world’s greatest soccer players, who escapes death in communist Bulgaria to find the American Dream. Due to severe injury during Bobo’s escape, he is unable to play once he arrives in America, but instead finds peace and happiness in coaching soccer to youth travel teams. When Mario's son Luca joins Bobo's team, it sets in motion an intense one-sided rivalry between Bobo and a man from his past, which ultimately leads to Bobo's death.

"My Dog Tim", from which this collection gets its name, is, as one would expect, a story about a childhood pet. If you're expecting something akin to Dorothy and Toto in the Wizard of Oz, however, you would be sadly mistaken. While there are definitely touching moments, the family in this one is much more like Malcolm in the Middle than Little House on the Prairie.

My favorite story has to be "The Note Giver". The author took an eccentric old man from his past and created a story about a man with some quirky habits who hands out controversial notes to members of St. Isidore's Church. It is one of the more touching stories out of the collection.

Also included are “White Fang”,“White Chocolate”, “Goalie Boy”, and three vignettes

With My Dog Tim: and other stories Maccagnone has blended family, sports, and pets with a definitive edginess that adults from many walks of life will enjoy.

Title: My Dog Tim: and other stories
Author: Garasamo Maccagnone
Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN-10: 1432755625
ISBN-13: 978-1432755621
SRP: $19.95

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