Beginning ~ with a boy stealing things

Opening lines

"When I was four years old, I kept telling my mother that the little boy in our house was stealing things.  I should preface this by saying I was an only child — a precocious one at that."

Where There's Smoke: A Short Story ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2014, fiction, 9/10

In this original short story, Picoult introduces Serenity Jones, one of the characters from Leaving Time (2014).  Even as a child, Serenity knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts.  Now, decades later, she’s an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed on.  Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts.  When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy.  And as she tries to undo the damage — to both her reputation and her show — she finds that pride comes at a high price.

I read Leaving Time several years ago, so I no longer remember details.  I ran across this Kindle Single and decided to buy it.  Looking for the description of this short story, I discovered another Kindle Single that's a novella and bought it.  Shall I share a BONUS book beginning with you?  Okay.

Opening Lines

"Moments after receiving the worse news of my life, I drive into the middle of a massacre.  The five elephants lie on their sides, dusty hills, aberrations in the landscape.  Flies swarm around the black blood that has seeped into the dirt, and overhead spins a pinwheel of vultures."

Larger Than Life: A Novella ~ by Jodi Picoult, 2014, fiction (Botswana), 9/10

A researcher studying memory in elephants, Alice is fascinated by the bonds between mother and calf — the mother’s powerful protective instincts and her newborn’s unwavering loyalty.  Living on a game reserve in Botswana, Alice is able to view the animals in their natural habitat — while following an important rule:  She must only observe and never interfere.  Then she finds an orphaned young elephant in the bush and cannot bear to leave the helpless baby behind.  Thinking back on her own childhood, and on her shifting relationship with her mother, Alice risks her career to care for the calf.

Alice is the main character at the center of Leaving Time, which I've read, as I said above.  Having read these two short fiction pieces, maybe I should re-read Leaving Time.

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Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts
Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Click this link for book beginnings
shared by other readers.
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