Cousin Toby and the Preacher and Other Stories

Don A. Hoyt's collection of "flash fiction" stories captures the same mysterious and funny personality quirks as the Robertson clan of "Duck Dynasty" fame. In fact, Hoyt wrote these stories in the late 1970s while both he and Phil Robertson worked as Corps of Engineers Park Rangers, patroling Corps parks up and down the Ouachita River. These are not real people, of course; but any fan of the "Duck Dynasty" reality show will recognize the same cultural milieu, the same quirky thought patterns, and the same underlying social values. There's something wholesome about how these people defy convention while being somehow totally conventional.

Unlike longer stories or novels, "Flash fiction" should be read slowly like poetry; and, similarly, it often needs to be read several tmes in order to extract it's full depth of meaning. That doesn't mean it should be studied like literary homework. Just don't be too quick to move on to the next one.