CAMBRIDGE, MA — In Soul to Soul: Tiny Stories of Hope and Resilience, award-winning author Faye Rapoport DesPres offers 100 stories comprised of exactly 100 words (called “drabbles”) that deliver bite-sized doses of warmth and inspiration for anyone with a minute to spare.
“I wanted to write a book that provides a sense of hope during a time that has been challenging for many people,” DesPres said. “I also aimed to provide little moments of entertainment. Any reader of any age can enjoy Soul to Soul, even those who only read for a few minutes at a time.”
From a girl comforted by a stray dog to a chance encounter at a waterfall; from a promising violist to the season’s first snowflakes; from four friends at a wedding to the hope in every sunrise, Soul to Soul: Tiny Stories of Hope and Resilience explores life’s moments and the meaning they can bring. “By the Sea,” one of the stories included in the collection, won a Best Microfiction 2023 Award.
Complemented by unique and creative illustrations by Anya Lauchlan, Soul to Soul is that rare book that may take an honored place on a coffee table, find its way into backpacks or be read by book clubs, and delight friends and family as holiday gifts. Because of its unusual format, readers can enjoy several stories in a single sitting, one every morning, one or two before bed, or even the whole book at once. The stories can even be read as meditations.
James Anderson, award-winning author of The Never-Open Desert Diner and Lullaby Road, said, “In Soul to Soul, Faye Rapoport DesPres succeeds in giving us the smallest of perfect comforts wrapped in mystery and compassion. Each (very) brief story resonates beyond its few words to become a kind of meditation, directing us inward but taking us forward in new ways. These short journeys are joys to savor.”
About the Author
Faye Rapoport DesPres is the author of five books, including the memoir-in-essays Message from a Blue Jay (2014), and the three children’s books in the Stray Cat Stories series, including the popular Little White: The Feral Cat Who Found a Home (2018). Her fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry have appeared in a wide variety of literary journals. She earned her MFA at the Solstice Creative Writing Program and has taught writing at Framingham State University and Lasell University, as well as in online classes for children. An outdoors lover who advocates for animals and the environment, she donates a portion of the proceeds from her children’s books to nonprofit animal rescue organizations.
For more information about the author, visit www.fayerapoportdespres.com, or follow her on Twitter (@FayeRapoDesPres); Instagram (faye_rapoport_despres); or Facebook (faye.rapoport.despres).
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