Other People, Other Places

Other People, Other Places is an outstanding book of short stories and novellas written by Joe Hilley. Each one was special in its own way. The novella, “Other People, Other Places” is the story about a professor who finds himself living in the real world as well as his own dream world with a very thin line in between. So thin is this line that sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly on what side of the line he is on, that is until Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash appears. Wonderful characters with a very creative premise that anyone who has woken up from a realistic dream will relate to. “Ludlum”, a novella, is the story about an abused wife who struggles while raising their fourteen-year-old son. Without spoiling the main plot, I have to say that I was pushing for the main character, Rita. This story was very raw and real and I felt the writer could have been telling a true story because it was written with such fine detail and sympathy.

“Johnny Tamburillo” was my favorite of all of the stories in the book. The main character, whose name is Taylor, as we find out at the end of the story, and ironically also the name of the main character in “Other People, Other Places”, befriends a neighbor boy by the name of Johnny. Johnny is always sitting outside on his step because his mother always has “visitors”. She is trying to make ends meet while Johnny’s father is in prison. Unfortunately, Johnny’s mother goes missing for many years. Taylor’s family ends up taking him in as their own. When both boys become of age they decide to try to track down Johnny’s mother. I absolutely loved this story about true friendship and the love a boy has for his mother. Again, this is another story that is written with such care and detail that I would have believed it was true.

“Nashville” was also a very well-written story. It is about a man named Hayden who has a rough relationship with his father. Wanting to become a musician, he decides to go to Nashville with his girlfriend, Ali. Instead, he stays behind to work on the family farm. His parents never seem to be happy with his choices no matter what he does and this creates a falling out. This is a wonderful story about heartbreak, love, and missed chances.

“Wackenhut Halfpipe” was my least favorite of the stories. It is about two older men who go on a mission to find a man named Wackenhut who will have all the answers to their questions about life. The whole story is the two men bantering back and forth and it is much ado about nothing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was well-thought-out and well-written with brilliant details, characters, and storylines. Recommended for adults of all ages.