Portraits of the Past

"She caressed the faded ribbon and thought of returning it to the secret drawer. Realising that this would only perpetuate the dream, she tenderly dropped it. The love knot burned, closing an unfulfilled chapter in her life."
Life, death and all things in between, including the decisions that we make, or have thrust upon us and how we face the consequences; how we allow those consequences to shape our destinies. These are among the poignant moments and personal epiphanies captured in a skilfully blended collection of bittersweet tales, told with honesty, candour, plenty of humour and never a dull moment, though the characters in these stories often seem to dwell in a certain twilight.
Written with keen observation and rare insight, these are moments that are meant to be captured, revealing as they do, the intensity of living in this world and the understanding of what it means to be alive within it.
A collection of short stories and flash fiction that travel to many places, far and wide. Some of them read like Joycean narratives set in the author's native Cork during the post-war period. The author, Michael Whelton, is a retired medical doctor who also has dedicated his life to art and literary pursuits.