“Where Oceans Meet” by Heather McQuillan

Flash Fiction requires careful reading because so much is packed into so few words. This book is a collection of sixty-one flash fictions by an award-winning local author. I don’t usually read short stories, but this book stood out for me on the Recent Returns shelf at the library. The first time it happened, I ignored it, but when the same thing happened on a later visit I thought this is a book I’m meant to read.

The stories have diverse settings, but are all firmly based in Aotearoa, with beguiling references to Māori mythology. The descriptions are exquisite, and the stories are thought-provoking. I especially like Misspoken where words are cleverly transformed. This is a book to be taken slowly so each gem can be savoured.

Although they barely last a blink
each tiny story makes you think