Reviews for Don't Worry about the Kids : Stories

The average rating for Don't Worry about the Kids : Stories based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-07-23 00:00:00 Joel Dimmitt Don't Worry about the Kids by Jay Neugeboren is a highly recommended collection of 15 short stories originally published in 1997 and now being re-released as an eBook by Dzanc Books/Open Road Integrated Media. While the protagonist of these stories can vary widely, often they are divorced fathers and/or Jewish men. In several the men have a mentally ill brother, which ties into author Jay Neugeboren's memoir, Imagining Robert: My Brother, Madness, And Survival. There are a few exceptions to Neugeboren's common themes, such as in "Connorsville, Virginia" where the story is told by a black man. All of the stories are well written and will hold your attention to the end. Not being a Jewish divorced male from Brooklyn or even remotely interested in sports, some of the stories were a stretch for me. I also felt that many of the female characters were stereotypes and never felt like real people. All in all, though, this is a fine collection and it should please fans of the short story. Contents: Don’t Worry about the Kids - a divorced father talks to the court appointed mediator in a bid to get more time with his kids; an excellent story and perhaps my favorite Workers to Attention Please - a man fights anti-American protestors with the real reason explained later The St. Dominick’s Game - a young man is giving it his all for the coach, while concerned about his mother's suitor Romeo and Julio - an imaginative young man with a mentally ill brother thinks he's found his Juliette Leaving Brooklyn - a young woman is reflecting on her childhood and life How I Became an Orphan in 1947 - a car crash results in a mother giving up her child Minor Sixths, Diminished Sevenths - young man living in Paris reflects on when he and his brother were in a band in the 60's Fixer’s Home - A former athlete was paid off to fix games Department of Athletics - a 17 year old young man is biding his time while waiting to hear from the right college Connorsville, Virginia - a young black man working for a difficult white sheriff The Year Between - a couple take a year away from each other Your Child Has Been Towed - a man in Brooklyn ponders his relationship with the library What Is the Good Life? - a CIA agent sends his daughter to her death In Memory of Jane Fogarty - a psychiatrist is named as the beneficiary to a patient's insurance policy but his relatives want the money Tolstoy in Maine - a filmmaker hiding in Maine has a fling with a woman who disappears, and then her side of the story is told Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Dzanc Books via Netgalley for review purposes.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-06-17 00:00:00 Vincent Estrada As a student of Latin American History currently living in Peru, this book formed the cornerstone of what I find so fascinating, attractive, and bewildering about this country. While the bulk of the book is a great study of women´s involvement in guerrilla movements in general, and in Peru´s shining path specifically, I found myself drawn to the little moments where Kirk describes her own experiences in Lima and its outskirts: her small fights with the landlady, her adventures in the close communities of Piura and brazen trips to Ayacucho during violence. I spent much of college trying to be Kirk and this book will give you a reason why. Kirk is a great historian and writes in a way that is easy to understand and enjoy due to her journalistic background. Great read!