Simon's Wondrous Garden ― And Other Stories

“A stunning story collection of mystical figures who seek meaning and inner peace in a world plagued by turmoil. These stories exhibit the deep connection to nature and respect for the South’s environment and rich history that we’ve come to expect from Alderson. No one does it better.”—Donna Meredith, author of The Glass Madonna and The Color of LiesAttorney Simon McCallister doesn’t remember much about the accident—something about swerving his BMW in front of a fruit truck—but when he finds himself wandering through the dark woods of his boyhood with his long dead grandfather calling to him, he becomes concerned. And when his grandfather leads him to a farm house filled with long deceased relatives, Simon wonders if he has passed onto the other side. For Simon, however, his adventures are just beginning. “Simon’s Wondrous Garden,” winner of a third place Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association and the headliner feature in this collection of stories from a gifted Southern writer, chronicles the life of an Atlanta attorney who begins having paranormal experiences after a car accident. Reaching back to his farm roots, he is inspired to turn his manicured suburban yard into an odorous vegetable garden, provoking the wrath of his wife and neighbors. What follows is both humorous and profound. Other stories include a tale of an Oklahoma Creek Indian who returns to his ancestral Southern homeland only to be confronted with a villain from his peoples’ past. There is an Old Florida love story between a crusty mullet fisherman and a northern transplant, and a yarn about a man who, by happenstance, finds himself on the street with only one friend he can trust. “Slave Canal,” winner of a second place Seven Hills literary award for short stories, showcases a former slave who returns to the place of his torment to find peace. These stories fill this captivating collection.