if i loved you, i would tell you this

by robin black

my first attempt at promoting this novel
went something like this:

"is it about...death...kind of..life..."
to which i received a raised eyebrow and a polite rejection.

fair enough.

here is the second attempt:

black dedicated ten years to the series of short stories
found in if i loved you, i would tell you this.
time well spent.

each story is a beautifully detailed tale
each with a specific purpose
each focusing on one (or more) of life's mysteries:
love
death
loss
birth
joy
and sadness.

to say it is a deep read
would be accurate
but not nearly enough.

it is through black's book that we familiarize ourselves
with the many beautiful, sometimes challenging, facets of life.