Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
The Box of Smiles and Other Stories - Captivating tales of life love and human emotions - cover

The Box of Smiles and Other Stories - Captivating tales of life love and human emotions

Laura Rountree Smith

Publisher: Good Press

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

In "The Box of Smiles, and Other Stories," Laura Rountree Smith weaves a collection of poignant narratives that explore the complexities of human emotions and the small, oft-overlooked moments of joy and sorrow. Employing a lyrical yet accessible prose style, Smith crafts stories that range from whimsical tales of childhood wonder to reflective pieces on adult struggles. Each narrative is infused with rich imagery and a deep sense of empathy, drawing readers into a world where the mundane transforms into the extraordinary, reflecting the nuances of everyday life in early 20th-century America. This collection resonates with themes of resilience, memory, and the significance of community, positioning itself within the literary tradition of American short fiction. Laura Rountree Smith, who wrote during a transformative period for women's literature, often drew upon her own life experiences as a mother and educator. Her background in teaching and her keen observations of familial and societal dynamics uniquely inform her storytelling, allowing her to authentically capture the complexities of human relationships. Smith's voice flourished as she navigated the expectations of her time, leading to a compelling exploration of feminine identity. I highly recommend "The Box of Smiles, and Other Stories" to readers seeking a powerful reflection on the human experience. Smith's ability to evoke laughter and introspection in equal measure makes this collection a delicate tapestry of joy and realization, inviting readers to discover beauty in the simple moments that define our lives.
Available since: 08/21/2022.
Print length: 25 pages.

Other books that might interest you

  • Philosophical Stories - Stories with deeper meaning - cover

    Philosophical Stories - Stories...

    Alexander Kuprin, Ambrose...

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    We love reason, advancing through facts to reach a conclusion that explains exactly where we are at.   
     
    When literary masters create their stories on this theme we are left with some quite brilliant and riveting works that help us gain fascinating insight into both author, story and the world beyond. 
     
    1 - Philosophical Stories - An Introduction 
    2 - In the Penal Colony by Franz Kafka 
    3 - Bartleby the Scrivener - Part 1 by Herman Melville 
    4 - Bartleby the Scrivener - Part 2 by Herman Melville 
    5 - The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 
    6 - Parker Adderson, Philosopher by Ambrose Bierce 
    7 - Dickory Cronke, The Dumb Philosopher or Great Britain's Wonder by Daniel D 
    8 - Plato's Dream by Voltaire 
    9 - The Shades, A Phantasy by Vladimir Korolenko 
    10 - Gods in Exile by Heinrich Heine 
    11 - An Evening Guest by Alexander Kuprin 
    12 - Bellerophon To Anteia by Mary Butts 
    13 - Putois by Anatole France 
    14 - The Lightning Rod Man by Herman Melville 
    15 - Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce 
    16 - A Country Doctor by Franz Kafka
    Show book
  • The Wendigo - cover

    The Wendigo

    Algernon Blackwood

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A monster lurks in the Canadian forests. If the legends are to be believed, a small band of hunters is about to meet the Wendigo.  
    The legend of the Wendigo originates from folk stories from the Plains and Great Lakes Native Americans. The creature is a malevolent spirit, known to possess and even eat humans.  
    Algernon Blackwood crafts this ghostly tale masterfully, filling it with atmosphere, tension, and drama.
    Show book
  • Encounters: Get lost in a world of unforgettable short stories from the Sunday Times bestselling author of historical fiction - cover

    Encounters: Get lost in a world...

    Barbara Erskine

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    A captivating volume of over forty short stories full of love, hope, and fear, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lady of Hay. 
    Barbara Erskine is a born storyteller. The tales in 'Encounters' illustrate her extraordinary talent for capturing the spirit of a place and drawing us into the hearts and minds of her characters. Some are humorous, some thrilling, while others are unashamedly sentimental. Old-fashioned love stories such as 'A Face in the Crowd' follow ingenious ghost stories, and in 'A Step Out of Time' the past and present come together, drawing back the curtain that separates us from our ancestors. 
    No one who has enjoyed Barbara Erskine’s best-selling novels – Lady of Hay, Kingdom of Shadows, Child of the Phoenix and Midnight is a Lonely Place – will be able to resist this gripping collection. 
    Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine: 
    ‘Atmospheric’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘Enthralling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘Spellbinding’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘Another fabulous read from the mistress of the genre’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘Immensely and deeply immersive fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘I loved every minute’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘An exceptional writer of great books’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘You can rely on this author to keep you wanting more’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘A joy to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    ‘Captivating and engrossing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 
    For fans of Christina Courtenay (Shadows in the Spring), Lucinda Riley (The Seven Sisters), Santa Montefiore (The Kiss), Elena Collins (The Wicked Lady), and Paula Brackston (The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish).
    Show book
  • Chivalry - From their pens to your ears genius in every story - cover

    Chivalry - From their pens to...

    Ricardo Fernandez Garcia

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    The bookshelves of World literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From their countries and continents their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Ricardo Fernandez Garcia.
    Show book
  • Wandering Ghosts - cover

    Wandering Ghosts

    F. Marion Crawford

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Step into the eerie world of Wandering Ghosts by F. Marion Crawford, a classic collection of ghost stories that explore the darker corners of the supernatural. From shadowy mansions hiding deadly secrets to ghostly ships adrift in eternal fog, these tales masterfully combine suspense, mystery, and gothic horror. Perfect for fans of timeless ghost stories, this audiobook brings Crawford's unforgettable narratives to life, drawing listeners into a realm where every shadow whispers a secret and the unknown waits just beyond the edge of reality.
    Show book
  • Freckles - From their pens to your ears genius in every story - cover

    Freckles - From their pens to...

    William Pett Ridge

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    William Pett Ridge was born at Chartham, near Canterbury, Kent, on 22nd April 1859. 
    His family’s resources were certainly limited. His father was a railway porter, and the young Pett Ridge, after schooling in Marden, Kent became a clerk in a railway clearing-house. The hours were long and arduous, but self-improvement was Pett Ridge’s goal.  After working from nine until seven o’clock he would attend evening classes at Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institute and then to follow his passion; the ambition to write.  He was heavily influenced by Dickens and several critics thought he had the capability to be his successor. 
    From 1891 many of his humourous sketches were published in the St James's Gazette, the Idler, Windsor Magazine and other literary periodicals of the day. 
    Pett Ridge published his first novel in 1895, A Clever Wife. By the advent of his fifth novel, Mord Em'ly, a mere three years later in 1898, his success was obvious.  His writing was written from the perspective of those born with no privilege and relied on his great talent to find humour and sympathy in his portrayal of working class life. 
    Today Pett Ridge and other East End novelists including Arthur Nevinson, Arthur Morrison and Edwin Pugh are being grouped together as the Cockney Novelists.   
    In 1924, Pugh set out his recollections of Pett Ridge from the 1890s: “I see him most clearly, as he was in those days, through a blue haze of tobacco smoke. We used sometimes to travel together from Waterloo to Worcester Park on our way to spend a Saturday afternoon and evening with H. G. Wells. Pett Ridge does not know it, but it was through watching him fill his pipe, as he sat opposite me in a stuffy little railway compartment, that I completed my own education as a smoker... Pett Ridge had a small, dark, rather spiky moustache in those days, and thick, dark, sleek hair which is perhaps not quite so thick or dark, though hardly less sleek nowadays than it was then”. 
    With his success, on the back of his prolific output and commercial success, Pett Ridge gave generously of both time and money to charity. In 1907 he founded the Babies Home at Hoxton.  This was one of several organisations that he supported that had the welfare of children as their mission.  
    His circle considered Pett Ridge to be one of life's natural bachelors. In 1909 they were rather surprised therefore when he married Olga Hentschel.  
    As the 1920’s arrived Pett Ridge added to his popularity with the movies. Four of his books were adapted into films.  
    Pett Ridge now found the peak of his fame had passed. Although he still managed to produce a book a year he was falling out of fashion and favour with the reading public and his popularity declined rapidly.  His canon runs to over sixty novels and short-story collections as well as many pieces for magazines and periodicals. 
    William Pett Ridge died, on 29th September 1930, at his home, Ampthill, Willow Grove, Chislehurst, at the age of 71. 
    He was cremated at West Norwood on 2nd October 1930.
    Show book