From Goodreads: To Begin Again is a collection of short stories and narrative essays. Each piece herein focuses on those small decisions that can, often unexpectedly, lead to monumental transitions in a person’s life.

Knox examines the beauty of unexpected and unconventional romance, the connections that keep us near our family despite distance, and the delicate shift between anger and acceptance. This collection is eclectic, but within each story there is a balance of grittiness and inspiration that will stay with a reader long after the last page.

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It’s always difficult to write a review of a book of short stories since it’s not one solid story, but multiple short stories that somehow connect together and it’s up to the reader to make those connections.  Knox’s stories look into the human psyche, showing us our own humanity and depravity as her stories unfold.  I particularly enjoyed “At the Window” as it looks at the phenomena surrounding witness apathy during violence.  A woman is struck in the street by a madman, but those who witness are slow to help, ducking away and hoping not to draw attention to themselves.  Why?  The woman notes this lack of apathy, and years later continues to question it as more cases develop in which it becomes apparent that the more witnesses to violence, the less likely anyone is to help.  This was an astounding piece of writing that made me question what I would do in a situation where many of us witness violence.  While I’d like to say I’d help, Knox has really made me question myself. 

“Like Smoke” is another interesting story about a young woman going through hardships after the death of her father.  It’s difficult not to feel sorry for her as she attempts to pick up more hours at her airport job, but what ends up happening blew me away.  I didn’t see it coming and couldn’t help but cheer for Amira as she makes her final choice.

“Negligence” is the story of a father who takes his daughter to beauty pageants and wants his darling to win.  It grabbed my attention right away because it made me immediately think about Jonbenet Ramsey.  However, nothing as sinister happens to the narrator’s daughter, that we know of, but something does happen to someone.  What I really enjoyed about Knox’s stories is that many of them, such as “Negligence,” end without ending, leaving the interpretation up to the reader.  While the allusions are there, we never truly know what happened, and that’s what makes these stories so enjoyable.  Of course, there are too many short stories to relay in this review; these are just a few of the ones that stood out to me, among many others. Three and a half stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.