Maurice Carlos Ruffin is a New Orleans Native, which means he's more than qualified to write a collection of short stories set there. Somehow, someway, Amazon suggested The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You and I jumped on the chance to read it. I grew up visiting my family there and have been desperately trying to find my way back.
Now, there were a few stories that I enjoyed more than others but I think that's just because I like longer stories. I've said it before, but when the story is longer the characters and storyline are just that much more complex.
Many of the stories in this collection are set in a Post-Katrina Louisiana. They deal with hardships families faced after the aftermath of the hurricane that rocked their world. Families were torn apart, memories were lost, homes were absolutely destroyed but they bounced back. It seems like most of the stories in this collection are about getting back on your feet, about rebuilding, about life after loss.
Another unique topic featured in these stories is the Pandemic. As of August 2021, we're all still recovering from a virus that has hit literally every part of the world. New Orleans thrives on in person gatherings like concerts and tours and Mardi Gras. During the Pandemic, no one could work. Parents couldn't send their kids to school and people all over the planet fell into hardships that they never expected. The story, "Ghetto University" details some of those hardships and in my opinion is one of the best stories in the entire book.
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