Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories by Lily King

Reviewed by Kristin

I “picked up” Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories by Lily King as an impulse while browsing Libby for a quick audiobook to download for the car. I had never read any of her other writing but thought I would give it a try. I’m glad I did.

Containing ten short stories, this volume goes deep into human emotions, most often veering from the typical path to something quite unexpected. Full of lost love, hesitant overtures, grief, coming of age, and an alternate universe or two, King’s stories are poignant and appealing, as well as sometimes disturbing. She develops her characters beautifully in just a few pages so that the reader feels they have always known these people.

By their very nature, short stories can’t be described at length or the review will contain the entire plot. I will say that I was particularly drawn to the title story, “Five Tuesdays in Winter” in which Mitchell is slowly drawn from his reclusive bookseller nature by a new employee. The characters come alive quickly, and I was mentally urging Mitchell to open himself to new experiences.

Another moving story is “North Sea” where Oda and her daughter Hanne take their first vacation after the loss of their husband and father. Oda does not want to be there, but feels obligated to provide the experience, which Hanne takes to after some grumbling. Some horseback riding lessons and other excursions are welcome, and open the lines of communication just a bit, with the pain of their loss coming closer to the surface.

Looking to see what else King has written, I discovered that she tends to write a novel about every five years, with this volume of stories following close behind her most recent full-length book. Based on this, she is worth the wait. Her other writing includes:

The Pleasing Hour (1999)

The English Teacher (2005)

Father of the Rain (2010)

Euphoria (2014)

Writers & Lovers (2020)