The Future Has A Past: Stories (2001) - Plot & Excerpts
The only two stories I liked was the first and the last one. In the first story "A shooting Star."- narrated by a woman name Maisha is deeply disturbed by her friend Lorene who looks for love in the wrong places. Daily she expresses to her how she craves affection from strangers that do not care to start a relationship with her. While Maisha is convinced that she is simply using her body for pleasures, Lorene feels that she is not ready to settle down for a relationship. Thinking to herself that marriage is for old people, not for her who wants to spread her love to anyone that is willing to receive it. On the other hand, Maisha perception of love is s huge family and falling in love with one person. Now that she has fulfilled her desire as an older woman, Lorene is still in the same stale place that leaves her hopeless in the end. Lurking in the shadows are people that want to see her change her life for the better, but Lorene life abruptly comes to an end when she love is taken for granted."The Lost and Found."- An older woman is stuck in her traditional mindset, eavesdropping on the neighbor that cannot stop crying. According to her, life comes with lessons that needs to be instilled at a young age, she tells vivid stories about people that stay nearby her. Yet she is certain that no one will ever give you anything without a sacrifice, thus she makes a living spying on people that she feels that she can help. Even in her old age, she has a lot of wisdom that she longs to depart to naive people that do not know where life will take them.I really hate to give this book three stars but these are the only two stories that were good. Mainly the first one was one of the best short stories I read in awhile. However as new stories were introduced, it was not a match to it's predecessor. This was a solid three, I enjoyed two out of the four stories. Cooper ability to write sympathetic characters is without question a gift . Despite minor inconsistencies, I will recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of short stories.
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