Getting Out of Town

Lori A. Dunn is a teacher, instructional designer, and freelance writer
in New Westminster, British Columbia.

The title of this collection of short stories is the recurring theme
that runs through the life of the main character, Nancy. The stories are
like snapshots in time, creating a loose narrative thread as we follow
the escapades of this young woman in small-town Nova Scotia who wants to
get out of town.

The stories are episodic, and the amount of time that passes between
each of the events in Nancy’s life is unclear—although the people
remain constant, which itself is one of the collection’s themes. We
see Nancy as a teen and as a young adult; we become acquainted with her
friends, her hangouts, and her questionable boyfriends—a jailbird, an
alcoholic, and an inexperienced junkie, to name a few. Each story
catches Nancy at a different time in her young life. Events slowly build
to the point at which she finally decides that she must leave.
Surprisingly, we see only the aftermath of her departure.

The author has populated Nancy’s town with memorable characters.
Nancy herself reflects the reality of many women’s lives. This spare
and simple collection of stories is entertaining, insightful, and
altogether too short.