In Ouch, two-time Commonwealth Short Story Prize contender and Pushcart Prize nominee Don McLellan delivers his third and strongest volume of provocative neo-noir.
In settings ranging from Canada to Latin America, the Far East and the Soviet gulag, in prose raw, unflinching and darkly comedic, readers are introduced to a gaggle of disparate characters struggling to navigate the vicissitudes of a mad, indifferent world.
There’s a homeless shoeshine boy; a reformed drug addict seeking redemption; a street scribe in war-ravaged, revolutionary China; a mourning widow taking in a damaged stranger. All hurt.
“. . .spare, polished prose . . .deeply felt and exquisitely well observed . . . .elegiac and tender . . . .a serious writer at the top of his powers, grappling with difficult material and telling stories of resonant human significance. Highly recommended.”
— Tom Sandborn, Vancouver Sun
“Every story packs a punch.”
— Sheryl Salloum, The Life and Art of Mildred Valley Thornton
“McLellan has an extraordinary and penetrating view into the inner world of his protagonists and their actions, and his prose is equally sharp….I encourage readers and writers of short stories to pick up this book.”
— Darcie Friesen Hossack, Mennonites Don’t Dance
“The sharp, punchy prose and impressive depth and span of the story’s subjects made turning each page a pleasure…a collection deeply satisfying and socially meaningful.”
— Amber Cowie, Rapid Falls