More Saskatchewan Gold

Rosalie I. Tennison is Editor of Communicator Magazine.

More Saskatchewan Gold is a diverse selection of short stories from 31 Saskatchewan writers. The book is divided into three sections that have, as editor Geoffrey Ursell says in his introduction, “something for everyone who loves a good story.”

The three sections divide the stories into groups about youth and discovery, women, and human dilemmas. The collection takes the reader from reminiscences of childhood to growing understanding of women’s roles, to the bleak, sometimes frightening world of unsolved questions.

In the first section, “The Children’s Bin,” “Playing Ball,” by William J. Klebeck, is an insightful examination of young men. A.O. Smith’s “Dan’s Car” is a delightful memory in the spirit of W.O. Mitchell.

The second section, “Moon Watchers,” provokes a little more thought. Some of the stories, like Ken Mitchell’s “A Field of Slugs,” focus on women’s growing independence and understanding. Of particular note is “The Old Woman,” by Elizabeth Brewster, a touching story about aging.

“Best Kept Secrets,” the third section, offers stories that pose many questions but seldom offer answers. Ursell says there is a balance between stories “that offer no easy resolutions to the situations they examine...and stories that work their way toward solace.” Ven Begamudre’s insightful examination of all sides of a possible racial situation in “Mosaic” is fascinating.

On the whole, More Saskatchewan Gold offers a wide variety of themes and authors. It is definitely a collection that offers something for everyone whether in subject, length, or approach. It’s a volume that can’t go wrong.