Sugar Among the Freaks

By Lewis Nordan
Algonquin Books, $10.95

ISBN 1565121317

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Review by John C. Christian, III

Several years ago I was given an anthology of short stories to read and found myself returning time and again to one particular title: "A Hank of Hair, A Piece of Bone" by Lewis Nordan. I was so enamored by this unusual story that I sought out other works by this Mississippi native. After reading his two collections, Welcome to the Arrow-Catcher Fair and The All-Girl Football Team, I joined the ranks of devoted Nordan fans.

These works, published in 1983 and 1986 respectively, have long been out of print. Nordan enthusiasts will be delighted to learn that Algonquin Books has gathered 15 of the best stories into a collection entitled Sugar Among the Freaks, which includes Nordan classics such as "Wild Dog" and "Rat Song."

In Sugar Among the Freaks, Nordan introduces us to some of the characters (Hydro and Sugar Mecklin just to name two) who appear in his later novels, Wolf Whistle and The Sharpshooter Blues. These novels continue to reveal his Mississippi Delta fictional world of heartbreak, lost hope, and love lost.

There is something decidedly different about this author's tragic and humorous tales. His style is unbridled, unbuttoned, and obsessive. He pulls no punches. Nordan exposes his readers to the full spectrum of human emotion, from expectant joy to blasted hopes. He reminds us, however, that amid the sorrow and unrest, all is not lost. Nordan allows us to catch a glimpse of hope along with his characters in his animated world of music, magic, and mayhem.


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