This is my short fiction review of Jim Latham’s short stories. If you are a Medium subscriber, whether you read or write there, you have likely read some of Jim Latham’s short stories. Noon in Florida is your chance to get some of his best short fiction all in one place.
Short Fiction Review – Summary
Jim puts a dozen of his best stories in this collection. If you’re one of those, like me, who likes to read a short story or two before bed or takes a book to the restroom, it almost seems like this was written for one of those purposes.
Short Fiction Review – Setting
The setting changes from story to story, as does the genre and plot.
A Snapshot of Each Story
#1 — Keeping Time Jim opens with a tale that looks at the death of a loved one. Although we know they will no longer be in pain, we also know that we can no longer hug them or hear their advice. All we’ll have is memories.
My favorite line is, “I put my hand on Dad’s wrist. His pulse feels like moth wings beating against my fingers.”
#2 — Mermaid Palms Mermaid Palms is an imaginative tale connecting mermaids and palm trees.
#3 — Why I Don’t Like Neapolitan Ice Cream A trip to Kroger triggers a painful memory.
#4 — Dog Saves Man This is a cute little tale of aborted suicide, not that there’s anything cute about suicide.
#5 — Your Mom and Dad Are Trying to Save Kittles A super short-short about a cat’s surgery.
#6 — Nothing Besides Good Milk Evidence isn’t always what we expect it is. Some things are easier figured out if you know the person better.
#7 — Hammer and Nails Did you ever do something really stupid when you were drunk? Silly question, right? That’s what drunks do.
#8 — Greener Pastures Can’t you just picture this? I know I can.“The dog looks at me side-eyed while I fix myself another gin and tonic. I’m skipping the lime, and as a Jack Russell Terrier, she’s got standards.”
#9 — To Help Someone Thinking about someone special?
#10 — Biscuits and Sun Shower Biscuits and Sun Shower is about strange or odd sayings for natural yet slightly rare occurrences, like sun showers.
#11 — Bacon Sandwiches When all you have is memories, your favorite sandwich, and a window to watch the world go by.
#12 — Noon in Florida It is a good story about a smart little girl, a dumb father, a hard-working mother, and a tip.
Conclusion:
From one to noon, these are all excellent stories. However, I consider Jim a friend, and he gifted me a copy of his book, which did not affect my review. What do you want for $.99? You probably can’t get a decent bacon sandwich for that.
