Parts of Me

In this tidy collection of short stories, Thomas Cannon delves into the messy world of relationships. Jason is a man that has never met a commitment that he didn't run from but falls in love with a woman that has dedicated her life to her sick father and his business. Father Matt is a Catholic priest that falls in love with the new vocalist in the choir. Matt and Teresa connect in a deep way, but they also have a deep love of God. A father questions the need for his young son to go to confession and this doubt puts his sobriety to the test. Jenny is a former cheerleader who realizes that her button-down carpooling coworker has become a catch. Stephen and Vicki end up in the same anger management class they are mandated to take before their divorce can proceed. At one of their porch parties, Mandy sets up her best friend Cliff with the hottest friend she knows. When the hot friend spends the evening on the phone with her ex-boyfriend, Mandy cheers him up and reveals her feelings for him Martin isolates himself after his wife's passing as penance for having an emotional affair with his boss. It takes a new friendship with the young, free-spirited Cassidy to move him to live his life again. Then there is Brian. Despite the love of his sister and her family, he is intent on self-destructing. Strait-laced Donna falls for Kevin, who has many drinking stories and a checkered past. Most of Cannon's stories deal with the complicated relationships of real people, while some are a satire of our current culture. These stories show the heartbreak and turmoil of the human condition but are ultimately optimistic that love will prevail. There is a story for everyone in this collection.