Title: Together Forever
Author: L.K. Goza
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-9491-6
Genre: Short Stories
Pages: 83
Reviewed by: Allison Walker
Pacific Book Review
Author L.K. Goza’s collection of short stories, titled Together Forever, is a beacon of optimism and kind heartedness. Goza gives to readers a modest number of short stories written for children, and so well done in this regard the reader may consider her work immediately trustworthy on any child’s bookshelf.
“King’s Tale” leads with the narrator describing a German shepherd dog, setting the stage for what you can thereafter assume will be a fanciful children’s story. This one is full of delights as King, the dog, along with the adopted pups and their animal friends take a weekend trip. It’s a happy story with little conflict and wonderful made-up words. I particularly enjoyed Goza’s word “flickertail” for when the dog describes the friends the chipmunks and squirrels. When the party meets a Clydesdale horse it remarks, “The last time I saw you, you were only three horseshoes tall.”
Many of Goza’s stories are like this: a familiar story with an imaginative twist. Two stories were written by family members. Her Grandma, M.V. Foster wrote “Front Street” back in 1910 or 1911, and her Dad, R.S. Quintal, wrote “Before I Go” in 1932.
Her childhood was a different world from today and her narrative style of writing, with a penchant for surprisingly specific details, brings forth her personal recollections in a suitable way. Goza lived a tremendous life and, luckily for her readers, she is a skilled author at heart.
The only story which was too different in scenarios to buy into was the first, “Doing Good.” For example, fourteen high world officials are in power with the common goal of uniting the world for doing good. In their newest plan, Operation Doing Good, the officials secure the cooperation of the World Series to end the game early and announce a tie between the two teams. The last three innings of the World Series will display a football playoff, and finale in one winning, metaphorically resonant touchdown. “Doing Good” seems to describe a futuristic projection of a society similar to ours. The story has a vaguely “1984” feel because of the Utopian landscape. I spent the entire story waiting for an impending blow to fall.
That being said, Together Forever does contain some real gems, and nearly any one of these stories would do nicely in a themed collection. Some of them are clearly written for children and, honestly, I would recommend any of Goza’s stories on a child’s bookshelf, although, others seem written for an older audience.
As Goza continues to write and add to her short stories, as I hope she does, she will produce some lovely collections.
