{"title":"Michael Massee","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-sewing-machine-and-other-stories-paperback","title":"The Sewing Machine and Other Stories - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHumor, suspense, crime, and mischief abound in this highly imaginative collection of nine short stories and two novellas. As in his first book, \u003cem\u003eGrandpa Gets a Tattoo and Other Stories\u003c\/em\u003e (2025), Michael Massee's page-turning stories are rich with unexpected turns, red herrings, and surprise endings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA mysterious visual disturbance leads to a missing person, then to a shocking revelation. One sewing machine changes three lives-first for an abandoned Mormon wife, then for a talented teenage boy, and finally for a girl in an oppressive Indian boarding school. Difficult questions are asked: How do we relate to a neighbor with an intractable mental illness? Is \"mercy killing\" ever justified? What if we could choose what happens when we die?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \"Affliction,\" a crusty, old-time newspaperman meets a warehouse clerk beset by messages from beyond, a midlife crisis, and a very overbearing mother; they team up to solve two mysteries-and along the way reinvigorate their own lives. This collection also serves up a sitcom actor with delusions of grandeur, a teenage Christmas prank gone wrong, a neighborhood murder mystery, crime-fighting birds-and a Great American Novel you can finish in only eight minutes!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMassee's stories are by turns poignant and witty, thoughtful and irreverent, displaying his flair as a natural storyteller.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50101867249887,"sku":"9798993827827","price":25.85,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/YRyty6rNya9798993827827.webp?v=1781075790"},{"product_id":"grandpa-gets-a-tattoo-and-other-stories-paperback","title":"Grandpa Gets a Tattoo and Other Stories - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAncient underground earth-dwellers enlist three humans-a Native American with a spirit guide, a woman with a desperate plan, and a young African scientist-to help them save humanity. A Vietnam vet comes to terms with the past. Humor abounds when a persnickety grandma and her wifi-deprived granddaughter are forced to head for the hills during a pandemic. A vulnerable twelve-year-old saves a queen, two princes, and himself in his fairy-tale world. And getting away with murder can be quite satisfying!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMichael Massee's imagination ranges far afield in this lively collection of nine short stories and two novellas. His writing is by turns poignant and witty, thoughtful and irreverent. In one story he gently portrays a person in crisis; in the next he serves up an insufferable miscreant. He pays tribute to brave women, great teachers, and persevering souls. There are family comedies and tragedies, serial matrimonial mistakes, anguished confessions-and a dream of world peace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese page-turning stories are full of unexpected turns, shocking revelations, and surprise endings. Some feature mystical connections or supernatural powers; others reflect some of the difficult social problems of our age. And we are treated to rich local color-streets and scenery, shops and parks, entertainment and eating establishments-in settings as far apart as Atlantic City and Portland, Oregon. These authentic details enhance the appeal of these highly engaging stories.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50102200533215,"sku":"9798993827803","price":22.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/aDEK6pTkV9798993827803.webp?v=1781079130"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/michael-massee.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}