Mrs. Somebody Somebody: Stories

by Tracy Winn

Book Overview

By turns funny and sad, the linked stories in Tracy Winn's debut collection intersect in surprising ways. Winn draws the readers into the last 60 years of an old mill town where her unforgettable... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0870745549
• ISBN13: 9780870745546
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Southern Methodist Univ Pr
• Length: 189 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Wonderful short story collection

I just finished a very impressive collection of short stories by Tracy Winn, "Mrs. Somebody Somebody". Ten short stories set in Lowell, Ma from 1947 to present time. It begins with "Mrs. Somebody, Somebody" at the Hub Hosiery Mill where you begin to meet the cast of characters, in particular Stella and Lucy. Both women have a mission, one to find a husband who will give her all she wants from life and one who is seeking to get a better life for the factory workers by unionizing them. As you read through this story and each one after, you follow certain characters as they "grow". You meet the people they interact with and get to know a town that is shaped around the mills, their owners and employees. A collection can sometimes be very disjointed; not so here. Tracy Winn , while delivering individual stories, weaves them together with the magic thread of her words. Early decisions create later consequences and complications for most everyone. There are several stories that stood out for me "Smoke" and the final one "Luck Be a Lady" I am eager to have some of my book buddies read this collection of stories. There is a lot to discuss here. In particular, I need to know who is putting Barbie doll shoes all around Kaylene's car and why. I hope I have your interest now. I know you won't be sorry to read "Mrs. Somebody Somebody."

Mrs. Somebody Somebody is a book well worth reading

Tracy Winn's book of stories are based around characters tied to the mills in Lowell, MA. Each is a different story about the main character within it. But all in some way tie back to the original title story's main character Stella; in a six degrees of separation sort of way. The notion of Stella's desire to be a "Mrs Somebody Somebody" seems innocent and understandable, yet as the rest of the stories unfold, the undertone I picked up on was, that our desires and wants while they seem like a good idea on the surface, may not turn out as you hope they will. Which is the case with an actual Mrs Somebody Somebody in the book. Through her talent of story-telling, I felt I knew who these people were, especially of those depicted in the first story within the mills. Having had grand-aunts who worked the mills in Ipswich and hearing their stories about these times, Tracy Winn "nailed it" because she made me believe I was in that place & time. And that this could have been another story told to me by them. Well done, I hope to see more writings from this author.

A Fabulous Look at Life.

What a great collection of stories. They tie together so well that you forget that you aren't reading a novel. Or maybe you are! Lowell has never seemed interesting to me, but now whenever I drive through the town, the buildings seem to speak to me through the characters that evolved in this fascinating (and memorable) book.

A page-turner!

I sat down to read the first story and wound up enthralled for hours. Tracy Winn's characters appear and reappear in discrete stories, with the overall effect of a sweeping novel. I don't know anything about Lowell, Mass. The characters aren't just like anyone I know. And yet, the book's place and people are both recognizable and new. Anyone who loves a captivating read, character-driven drama, and stick-in-your-memory scenes will love this book.

Really Something Something!

How could anyone know so much about a place and its people over time? Winn seems to have a clarity of vision and gift for putting her visions into language that is almost scary. I know Lowell, but I never really knew Lowell until I read these stories. It's amazing how scattered parts can make a whole . . . and leave you wanting more.