Stork Bite

Stork Bite is a story that satisfies in a way that few others have. It covers racism, racial inequality, war, love, family, birth and death. There is a wisdom that resonates from the pages that I didn’t really understand until after I finished reading it.

The first thing a reader will probably notice about this story is that the author knows how to describe things. The first scene is set in the Louisiana boonies. There’s a country road, a lake, an old canoe on the shoreline. There were mosquitoes. “A breeze lifted the curly gray beards hanging from the bald cypress.” Wind and rain appeared, and the smell of a train. Before I realized it, I was fully immersed in the scene – and in the story.

“He felt like a million bucks driving around town with the top down”

The story covers quite a length of time for some of the characters. With one character, the story starts in 1913 when he was seventeen years old, and we find that same character in his 90’s before the story ends. The long time periods allow the reader to really see what becomes of the characters, as well as the results of their life choices.

The racism and prejudice in the story aren’t specifically discussed in detail, yet they are very much there. The interesting thing, however, is that we get to experience them from both sides: from the minds and dialogue of both blacks and whites.

Speaking of dialogue, Simonds did a fantastic job with the slang. It was just enough for the effect, without going overboard. I think it added a great deal of authenticity to the story. Further, since the story covers so many years, the author seemed to be especially mindful of using the proper slang in the proper time.

Stork Bite touches on all the emotions and all the senses we have. At times, the emotions are very raw, and we can’t help but empathize.

I enjoyed reading this story very much, but it wasn’t until after I finished that I fully understood its impact. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the true concept of story.