History Lessons: Stories and Novellas

Jerry A. Dykman is a lawyer in Morden, Manitoba.

History Lessons is a collection of short stories based on the close
family ties of Jewish Canadians.

Fagan’s talent is to immerse himself in the character’s persona.
“Nora by the Sea” is cleverly written from the viewpoint of a
middle-class mother, and deals with her concern for her son’s sexual
orientation. When Nora discovers her son in a homosexual act, her
emotions remain undisclosed and we are left to develop the story
ourselves.

“Hondini of Clinton Street,” narrated by preadolescent Angelica,
depicts a Portuguese immigrant family in Toronto, facing eviction.
Angelica, too young to worry about such things, seeks out a neighborhood
magician who produces live animals out of the air. The story is
bittersweet. The reader may sense some condescension toward the
unlearned, who are kept servile by the clergy’s “repression.”

“Happy Birthday to Me” captures the emotional intensity of a woman
preparing a surprise party for her 30-year-old husband. The tension
caused by the husband’s delayed arrival becomes uncomfortable. The
farce of the wrong lettering on the cake epitomizes the perfectionist
wife and her frustration in trying to orchestrate the perfect event. As
in “Nora,” Fagan creates his feminine persona with characteristic
detail.

The title story also takes place at a family gathering, with relatives
kibitzing. This story of adolescent infatuation а la Woody Allen may be
more autobiographic than the others. The author’s talent draws the
reader into the teenage boy’s emotions and the easy-come, easy-go of
young romance, complete with sexual fantasy.

“The Village Angel” tells of a lonely old one-armed man named
Eugene Bett, living as frugally as he can on a limited income in
Manhattan. Yet he manages to issue a cheque for $5000 to finance
rehearsals for a mishmash of murderous Greek classics, thrown together
in the name of alternative theatre. Again the story’s strength is in
character development.

Throughout the stories, the dinner table becomes an inescapable motif.
A detailed menu is a foundational metaphor for family and community, as
vital as love, marriage, and survival.