Company

Stories

By: Shannon Sanders

Narrated by: Karen Chilton

A richly detailed, brilliantly woven debut collection about the lives and lore of one Black family

Shannon Sanders’s sparkling debut brings us into the company of the Collins family and their acquaintances as they meet, bicker, compete, celebrate, worry, keep and reveal secrets, build lives and careers, and endure. Moving from Atlantic City to New York to DC, from the 1960s to the 2000s, from law students to drag performers to violinists to matriarchs, Company tells a multifaceted, multigenerational saga in thirteen stories.

Each piece includes a moment when a guest arrives at someone’s home. In “The Good, Good Men,” two brothers reunite to oust a “deadbeat” boyfriend from their mother’s house. In “The Everest Society,” the brothers’ sister anxiously prepares for a home visit from a social worker before adopting a child. In “Birds of Paradise,” their aunt, newly promoted to university provost, navigates a minefield of microaggressions at her own welcome party. And in the haunting title story, the provost’s sister finds her solitary life disrupted when her late sister’s daughter comes calling.

These are stories about intimacy, societal and familial obligations, and the ways inheritances shape our fates. Buoyant, somber, sharp, and affectionate, this collection announces a remarkable new voice in fiction.

©2023 Shannon Sanders (P)2023 Recorded Books

Short stories worth coming back to

I’m on my second read through as I write this review. Felt like a perfect holiday read as I travel from flight to flight and house to house.

The drama of someone else’s family.

I truly enjoyed the story telling. The book read like I was reading a family narrative from the favorite Auntie’s perspective-- honest, comedic, and regal.

Do you love short stories? Have you ever wished for one short story to become a novel? Particularly a novel with vignettes into the different characters lives? Do you enjoy books that focus on the arc of a family? Can you keep up with a series of characters?

Then this is a book for you!

Get ready to get sucked in for the next few days or however long it takes you to finish. Though I think it will be the former. The writing will grab you. You’ll want to hear the next story about a seemingly random family member that will come together by the end, weaving together a family narrative as beautiful as grandma’s quilt. You might not fall in love with any character but you will likely recognize them all — in well, your own extended family.

Fabulous short stories

It was so exciting to read short stories that are connected. This was a new concept for me. I especially enjoyed how each story had a surprise character or point. I’m excited to continue reading works by Shannon Sanders.

Family dynamics

Perfect narrator brought story to life. Collection of short stories drops you in the middle of character lives. Enjoyed piecing family connections together as stories intertwined and came together. Diverse personality makes family unique and this collection does fine job of highlighting that aspect of family life.