Moving Stills

<p>'How did I go from a bold sassy teenager to a woman afraid to get out of bed?' laments Paula 30 and desolate. These 38 strikingly diverse stories reveal the origins of her pain then lead us through her sometimes difficult often exhilarating journey toward health. Although inspired by events in her own life Ms. Slatkin has created in Paula a vibrant fictional narrator. The writing is fast-paced forthright and laced with sometimes startling situations. Humour abounds. Paula is an honest spirit and some stories deal openly with raw emotional experiences. The narrative texture though rich in dialogue is poetic in its use of imagery. Despite some difficult subject matter there is an uplifting zest and vigour throughout the collection.</p>