4.5 stars

From ghost-soaked frontier towns to leafy waterways, frozen river basins, and the open road,Tara Maseh and James Claffey’s parallel narratives tumble along through stunning landscapes ofloneliness and beauty. The writing is evocative and tender, exploring both, the haunted and thehaunting; touching in its examination of broken things and masterful in its prose. This novellafinds the places that ache and brings them up into the light like constellations. They hang therefor a while, as fragile and...

i don't know. my first audiobook. stirring and moving, but i think it's the kind of these that might have been better if read, not listened to.

4.5 stars rounded to 5 starsI was attracted to The Bitter Kind by three factors. Firstly, I read Ms. Masih’s My Real Name is Hanna a couple of years ago and was very impressed by the prose and the depth of her debut novel. Secondly, this work is labeled as “A Flash Novelette”, which intrigued me. Furthermore, this story has some ghostliness to it. I am not normally drawn to ghost stories, but I do like to step out of my comfort zone now and then, and the blurb just felt right for me. Happily, I

The artistic beauty portrayed with the collaboration of authors Tara Lynn Masih and James Claffey is magical.Ms. Masih writes the male voice and Mr. Claffey, the female voice. Unsurprisingly, they each did not miss a beat in their supreme interpretations, and proving that the dilemmas of both sexes is as timeless as man has been on earth.This is a wondrous piece of work (which I have already listened to 2x straight through) and one which I will revisit over and over. The talent and originality d...

The Bitter Kind is a novelette written from two perspectives, revealing the difficult lives of a man and a woman who have each been injured by their early lives . The prose is luminous as we experience each of their lives. Something to be expected from James Claffey and Tara Masih. to be continued....A thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Bitter Kind.

It is so hard to write about books you love this much. Why? Because what you felt while you were reading was quite wordless, hard to translate. The Bitter Kind is one of the most gorgeous, moving books I've read in a long time. I went on a private journey with two kind, determined, unforgettable characters. And for that, I am thankful.

Flash fiction which effectively draws you in to the two characters’ lives and tells their stories in 68 pages. The two character are Stela, the daughter of a ship's captain and Brandy, a Chippewa orphan who is haunted by ghost wolves and spirits. Each author tells a story - James Claffey brings Stela to life, while Tara Lynn Masih, breathes life into Brandy. Their stories are told in alternating chapters/sections. Each character comes from the individual writer’s past works, and both will meet i...

reviewed for SmokeLong Quarterly: http://www.smokelong.com/review-the-b...

“It is easy to love a ghostwho asks nothing of you” Given the vice president debate the other night between Pence and Harris ....where a fly landed and stayed steady in Pence’s hair for over two minutes....a moment in history that may turn out to be Pence’s legacy... I can’t resist sharing this paragraph from “The Bitter Kind”..... “Her years in small-town Alabama brought three men in quick secession; Brian, Dustin, and Keenan. Huntsville, with its big spring and Civil War battlefield was the so...

Beautiful, moving and utterly powerful.One of the shortest, yet most shocking stories I've ever read. Each character's part is written with such detail, such closeness that makes you want to be part of it just to help them feel a bit less alone. Because that's what the story is really about, at least for me. It's about loneliness. And how these characters go from place to place trying to find somewhere (or someone) to belong. Somewhere away from all the cruelty that's hunted them throughout thei...

"Masih and Claffey are superbly well-matched as authors. The result of their partnership is a book that transcends experimentation for experimentation’s sake, seamlessly narrating two lives as they drift toward a powerful convergence."Full review at Necessary Fiction: http://necessaryfiction.com/reviews/T...

At the very start of this work, I was captivated by the first character’s voice. When I put the book down after the first section, all I could think was: Wow! I’m happy to say that feeling continued with the voice of the second main character; the sense of place; and the luscious descriptions of the natural world.Told in alternating sections that decrease in size as the two characters’ paths cross, it ends in an unexpected and satisfying way. Both characters are haunted by difficult pasts, but o...

5 " quiet, unsettling, utterly gorgeous" stars !!10th Favorite Read of 2020 Award I am going to start with a very short poem of my own about my father. A snow owl flew to the branch of the gnarled tree outside my bedroom window Amber liquid eyes soothed my tear-stained heart A voice so ethereal and wise cascaded through my eardrums to my soul Comfort, kindness and simple sageness was all that my father was and is and will forever beMs. Masih kindly approached me to read her collaboration with Ja...

This book is forthcoming! Paperback Oct. 2, Audio Oct. 13. It's tiny but, I hope, packs a punch! It was fun to collaborate and experiment. We took two characters from our story collections and had them eventually meet up. Great exercise in writing back story. And I'm thankful to our AMAZING blurbers:“With two writers as well matched artistically as Tara Lynn Masih and James Claffey, a collaboration is cause to celebrate. This richly woven, haunting novelette transcends the confines of its brevit...

With beautiful imagery and a seamless voice, Masih and Claffey move us through decades as two parallel lives seek solace and healthy human connection. Stela, long plagued by abusive relationships, and Brandy, spurred by tragedy and unlucky in love, are shaped and steered by the things that haunt them, and, perhaps, the things that will someday guide them to heal. This winning collaborative effort is both stirring and satisfying.

With two writers as well matched artistically as Tara Lynn Masih and James Claffey, a collaboration is cause to celebrate. This richly woven, haunting novelette transcends the confines of its brevity; feels tender, sprawling, immersive. "The Bitter Kind" is an alchemy, a duet, a gorgeous melding of two of our most treasured literary voices.

The Bitter Kind by Tara Lynn Masih and James Claffey is an interesting look at two people’s lives as they encounter experiences both good and challenging over a multi-year period of time. The characters face difficulties that are relatable and realistic. Beautifully read in the audio version, The Bitter Kind reveals many elements of humanity in the way the characters respond to and internalize what is happening to them in their lives. The authors capture the experience of both characters’ lives

In my opinion, this audiobook was excellent. Normally, I am a little put off when I see a book is under two hours long. But as far as I know, I've never read a flash novelette and I am so happy I did. This book was beautifully written. It was so descriptive and beautifully written. I was so ready for more....and then it was over. And I wanted more! (lol). Anyways, this was such a great book and I definitely recommend. (Unless your bothered/triggered by some abuse type stuff. I didn't think it wa...

In The Bitter Kind, authors Tara Masih and James Claffey, writing in alternating passages, tell and at times enact scenes in the lives of two rural Southerners: Stela--escaping sexual abuse and looking for meaningful love--and Brandy--in search of his destiny close to the natural world he loves despite being pursued by a mythical mountain Ghost Wolf his Cree mother claims is part of him and later by a benevolent ghost of the Montana plains.We sense Stella and Brandy's journeys will intersect but...