The Ice Cream Vendor's Song by Laura McHale Holland

The Ice Cream Vendor's Song Reviews

• 
  Sue Eberhardt

  Good things do come in small packages, and Laura McHale Holland's new flash fiction mini-stories are just that—very good things. These stories are all very short, some no more than half a page, but their individual effects linger and occupy the mind like certain improbable dreams do. Especially those that take off suddenly in odd and mysterious twists.
  
  Here is a very thin little book presenting a gourmet tasting menu of fantasy, mystery, creativity, sadness, darkness, creepiness, and even a little hope. Perfect to take on the train or plane—read a story, close your eyes, let it gel, and when you are ready for another taste, read another story. Congratulations to this very clever author for her ability to think up so fully and then condense so tightly these highly imaginative stories. They beg to be read and re-read.
  
  Five stars for a wake-up experience in fiction. Thank you, Goodreads.
  
• 
  Annie

  I won this through Good Reads and I very much enjoyed these short stories. Perfect to take to to a doctors office or on a bus ride. Also not a big heavey book either. Thanks.
• 
  Judie

  In THE ICE CREAM VENDOR’S SONG, Laura McHale Holland presents forty eight flash fiction short stories.
  
  Each vignette is a complete picture. Some are a snapshot capturing a moment. Others, a short film covering a longer period of time. They range from humorous, surreal, nostalgic, and sad and, for the most part, the characters are everyday people.
  
  A lot of them deal with separation, loss, death and revemge. Others involve children or memories of childhood. “The Golden Sandals” reminded me of the movie, “The Red Shoes.” Another had an O. Henry quality. And she presents an interesting twist on “Little Red Riding Hood.
  
  None of the characters are repeated and there is a lot of differentiation between them. The lengths vary from fewer than 100 words to slightly more than one page.
  
  While I didn’t like all the stories–I’m not into sci-fi–there were many that were enjoyable. She says a lot in a few words though, in a couple cases, I wanted more.
  
  I received this review copy from Smashwords.
• 
  Cfinn

  I got a copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway, and I'm glad I won it. I really enjoyed the stories within this book. I haven't read a lot of flash fiction, or short stories for that matter, but each one tells a unique, interesting story. Whether the stories be one paragraph long, or one page long, the characters created and the story that is told speaks volumes. A lot of the stories had left me with that "well, then what happened?" feeling that keeps me going back to reading. I really want to get her memoir, Reversible Skirt. If her novels are as good as her flash fiction was, I won't have a hard time reading it.
• 
  Kim Mack

  Thanks to Goodreads for sending this First Reads book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
  
  I am not a fan of short stories and these, of course, are the shortest as they are flash fiction. This fact is the main reason this doesn't get higher stars, so I'm not sure that's exactly fair. The writing was very well done. It takes a lot of skill to be able to write flash fiction and have it be meaningful and believable and Holland does just that. I didn't like some of the stories as they were on the morbid and dark side, but most of them were enjoyable for me.
  
  This was a very quick read and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes short stories.
• 
  Frances Scott

  I was fortunate to receive this book as a Goodreads Giveaway winner. I had never even heard of "flash fiction," but I'm glad I've now been introduced. This is a most enriching collection of vignettes. The writing is a refreshing change from the overly ornate, hyper-descriptive, wordy style so many authors are prone to produce. Holland's prose is spare, yet beautiful. The stories are powerful and haunting, many reminiscent of O. Henry (in particular, check out They Knew Not, the first story in this collection). I wholeheartedly recommend this slim volume to all readers.
• 
  Nancy Johnson

  When I was young, riding in the car with my mom and peering at the cars that we passed, or looking out the window of BART at the passing homes, I often wondered what the lives were like of the people in the many cars and houses. The collection in The Ice Cream Vendor's Song gives you a glimpse into quite a few people's possible lives. It is an interesting and memorable book of flash fiction.
  
  Although many of the stories I wouldn't call complete stories, some are, and all have something worthy about them.
  
• 
  Kimberly

  The Ice Cream Vendor's Song by Laura McHale Holland is a book of short and shorter stories. Some I liked more than others, but all of them will make you think. I enjoyed reading each and every and one. A good book for an afternoon or evening read.
  
  
  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, rather it be good or bad.
• 
  Ann Philipp

  The Ice Cream Vendor's Song is wonderful. Heart felt and dream like, Laura McHale Holland takes you to places of joy and sorrow, full of imagination and surprise endings. This collection of short and oh-so-wonderfully sweet tales are like tidbits of delicious emotional morsels, they will leave you yearning for more.