Book Review: Kind Eyes: Gentle Reading for Troubled Times
Kind Eyes: Gentle Reading for Troubled Times. Mary Hutchings Reed. Ampersand, Inc., June 22, 2020, Trade Paperback and E-book, 144 pages.
Reviewed by Lisa Sherman.
In Kind Eyes: Gentle Reading for Troubled Times, Reed presents a collection of short stories that shine a light on the intricacies of the human experience. Reed’s stories are written with depth and thoughtfulness, and explore everyday people wrestling with unique yet relatable situations.
Reed’s collection contains fourteen stories, each impactful in a unique way. One of my favorites was “Kind Eyes,” the title story in which Reed tells the tale of a homeless teenager who cons the protagonist into giving him money. Aware she is being duped, she struggles to reconcile her feelings of being taken advantage of and helped by the con. This contrast provides a fascinating look at the complexity of our reactions to events that arise in our lives.
In “Herbert Saffir, Measurer of Hurricanes,” Reed presents a man visiting his aging mother in an assisted living facility, and examines the challenges of coming to terms with the changes the man sees in his mother due to her deteriorating memory while showcasing his continuing love for her.
“Boone’s Rules” discusses the extent to which we want to know about our mortality. A man turns to an old friend’s rules to live by as he struggles with the decision of whether he should open an envelope containing his fiancée’s test results and learn if she carries a gene for a fatal hereditary disease, or if it would be best to go on with their lives without that knowledge.
“Like Manna from Heaven” discusses the conflicted feelings of a building fire survivor who receives a sizable settlement award. The protagonist struggles with a desire to protect the award from people trying to get their hands on it. She struggles with requests from her brother, who she wants to help navigate a dangerous situation while suspecting he is taking advantage of her.
In “Even Monkeys Fall from Trees,” an attorney deals with issues of worthiness as his peers give him a high honor, and in “Sweet Prince,” a chaplain whose reputation has been wrongfully smeared, turns to his faith for guidance.
I very much enjoyed reading the stories in this collection. Each story highlights elements of the human condition and portrays the characters with warmth and compassion. Reed’s empathy for her characters shines through and enables the reader to relate to them deeply. I also appreciated the references to Chicago that the author weaves into many of the stories. Her descriptions of Chicago buildings and locations pulled me into the stories and were so vivid that I felt as if I might have been there at one time or another. I also enjoyed Reed’s references to aspects of the legal system. Each subtle nod to the legal profession highlighted her vast knowledge.
Kind Eyes: Gentle Reading for Troubled Times is a fantastic read. In today’s times, when many people feel disconnected from others, the stories in Reed’s book will leave readers feeling like they just shared a conversation over a coffee with a close friend.