16 Comments
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Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

I love seeing the decisions writers make; this, from a prompt, is delightfully original.

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you 🙏

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Julie Gabrielli's avatar

So enjoyable from the very beginning, although once I realized the narrator was a dog in dire circumstances I wasn’t sure I could keep reading. 😭 So many lines to love, like this one: “It’s hard to make an impression on a world that seems only to value its own particular definition of perfection.” It reminded me of a book I loved as a child, “The Incredible Journey.” A bold choice, lovingly done.

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Julie Gabrielli's avatar

I also loved the repetition of almost a chorus. I reads like a child’s fairy tale.

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Troy Putney's avatar

What a beautiful, layered tale of perseverance and courage. I love that you've taken on the perspective of a mother dog, and that she's led on her heart's journey by the other beings of the world. These paragraphs are filled with such lovely descriptions of the non-human world, which only make the human one feel even more bleak. Really well done.

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you Troy for your kind words and for taking the time to share them.

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Mya Dexter's avatar

This was such a treat, so many beautiful moments; one favourite line :"just enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor’s trousers." I would love to see the prompt, and I would happily read much more of the same!

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you. I’m glad you liked it.

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Julie Gabrielli's avatar

I love that one, too. It made me smile, so I read it a few more times.

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you Julie. How lovely.

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Adam Nathan's avatar

I’m charmed by the originality and the echoes of a lifetime of children’s tales and children’s hearts, too somehow. What a creative contribution to this collection. Apologies for coming to it so late. I am still working my way - carefully- top to bottom. A pleasure to find yours.

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you Adam. Much appreciated.

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Hannah Holm's avatar

The repetition of the forest animals saying "It’s the shortest day today and there’s hardly any light so you’d better be on your way" gave it the feel of a charming children's book, but with so much more detail and depth. Lovely story, well done!

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you Hannah. I’m happy you enjoyed it.

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Holly Starley's avatar

“She smiled so widely it was possible to imagine falling into such kindness and staying there forever.” One of my favorite lines. I also loved “just enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor’s trousers.”

Lovely choices here! Glad this project brought me to your work. And I’d be curious to see the prompt.

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Graham Landi's avatar

Thank you Holly. Much appreciated.

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