Bonds of Love & Blood
by Marylee MacDonald
Summertime Publications


"What was wrong now had been wrong in the beginning. She had married Ashok out of necessity."

In her collection of twelve brilliantly-written short stories, MacDonald explores the pain and beauty of human relationships. MacDonald’s writing is raw and visceral, creating a strong emotional connection between her characters and the reader. The stories ring true when it comes to the many experiences and nuances of human relationships, such as love, divorce, and physical distance. The author, who is a winner of several literary prizes, delivers rich, full characters, who hold our interest and refuse to leave us until the end.

In the story called “Bean Grower,” two farmers struggle to make their relationship work while a blizzard is destroying their bean crop. In “Key West,” a mother makes an attempt to reconnect with her son and motivate him to do his studies by going on a short vacation together, while she worries about her own dwindling finances.

The stories span continents, showing the reader that relationship troubles are as universal as the human experience. In the story called “Finding Peter,” an American mother travels to Prague, Czech Republic, to find her wayward son, but instead finds an impoverished young Dutch mother in need of much-needed cash to save her infant, also named Peter. In “Two Trains in Manmad,” an American woman ponders her failing marriage to her Indian husband, while he himself feels torn between the obligations to his elderly mother and the love for his wife.

This book shouldn’t be amiss in any literary lover’s bookshelf.

RECOMMENDED by the US Review

Return to USR Home