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Reviewed by Stephanie Chapman for Readers' Favorite
Stay With Me, Wisconsin, by JoAnneh Nagler, is a short story collection of eleven stories. All the stories focused on well-developed characters. Another interesting point is every story connects each character to another person in an earlier or following story. Ponty Bayswater is the first person introduced in the book and influences the rest of the stories. Ponty was a young man when he married his wife and had children. When she passes away, he falls in love again. The second story presents Asa, who dates Ellie, Ponty’s daughter. This connection continues throughout the remaining stories. Every story is unique, with an unpredictable end. There are various lifestyles given, ranging from long-term relationships, family connections, divorces, widows and widowers, to same-sex relationships. The major theme is present in each story, with every character learning the ability to find love and acceptance.
Nagler created a cast of colorful characters in Stay With Me, Wisconsin. I found the first-person narration to be refreshing, and every person’s progress from pain to enlightenment feels surreal. I fell in love with Ponty’s Aunt Violet and her blunt way of stating the obvious in topics that most people appear embarrassed to discuss. My favorite story was Maximus. The strength and resiliency Maximus showed was admirable. I found the humor Nagler put in Doggie Stay to help with keeping the overall hardship in the story from feeling depressing. Shelby Barkingham as a dog groomer and trainer was ironic because of her last name. Nagler’s ability to develop every story to have independent plots, yet the protagonists connect to each other without having repetitive scenes, increased my enjoyment of the entire collection. I recommend Stay With Me, Wisconsin, to anyone who enjoys inspiring stories about accepting change, self-discovery, trust and forward progression.
