I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Betty Jane Hegerat shares a collection of short stories that explore the regrets and lessons people learn in life in the book “Elephants in the Room.”
The Synopsis
Fourteen jewel-like stories unveil the tender chaos of lives unlived and loves unspoken
In Elephants in the Room, Betty Jane Hegerat masterfully uncovers the quiet fractures of ordinary lives—the unspoken regrets, the buried griefs, and the fragile threads of connection that bind families across generations.
From a devoted son’s frantic dash to help his mother glimpse the Queen to a reluctant father’s stunned reunion with the daughter he never knew, from a woman dressing her mother-in-law for an eternal rest to a boy’s guilty reckoning with a bully’s untimely death, these unforgettable stories illuminate the elephants in our lives we ignore at our peril.
With tender wit and unflinching insight, Hegerat explores the weight of what we leave unsaid: the ache of lost chances, the solace of small mercies, and the stubborn grit that carries us through. As poignant as a stolen glance, as resonant as a half-forgotten lullaby, the stories in Elephants in the Room whisper the unvarnished secrets of family ties—where regrets loom large, and small acts of grace light the way home.
The Review
These stories have such a significant impact on the reader. The relatability and depth of emotion each story brings to life are fantastic, and the vivid imagery it uses really brings the settings and characters to life on the page. The versatility of the characters and the way each felt unique and different from those in previous stories made the narrative’s pacing feel fast-paced and the atmosphere enveloping.
The heart of the story was the introspective journey each story took readers on. The story Jawbreaker stood out, as the reader is presented with a tense parental situation that a great-grandmother witnesses. The story not only highlighted the tension and wrongs both parties were part of, but also the feeling of helplessness in a situation with no winners and a child caught in the middle. This story reflected the open-ended nature of many of these stories, as if catching snapshots of people’s lives in a moment in time.
The Verdict
Thought-provoking, engaging, and memorable, author Betty Jane Hegerat’s “Elephants in the Room” is a must-read anthology of unforgettable genre fiction stories. The creativity and the relatability of these characters and their stories will resonate with so many readers and keep them engaged until the final story’s end. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Calgary author Betty Jane Hegerat was a social worker in a long-ago life. The stories she has written since she left that career behind reflect an ongoing need to make sense of conflict and chaos in relationships, and to find moments of laughter and even glimmers of redemption. That seriousness aside, she loves the Calgary writing community. She has taught at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre, Fernie Writers’ Conference, for Continuing Education at the U of C, and was Writer in Residence for the Calgary Public Library. In 2015 she was honoured to receive the Writers Guild of Alberta Golden Pen Award for lifetime achievement in writing. Betty Jane’s stories have been published in anthologies and magazines. She has five previous books: a novel, Running Toward Home (Newest Press), collection of stories, A Crack in the Wall (Oolichan Books), another novel, Delivery (Oolican Books), and two YA novels, Odd One Out (Oolichan Books) and The Boy (Oolichan Books). The Boy is a French braid of investigative journalism, fiction, memoir, and meta-fiction. The book was shortlisted for the Calgary Book Prize, High Plains Book Awards, and Alberta Writers Guild Wilfrid Eggleston Non-Fiction award.
