Brothers, Fathers, and Other Strangers by author Mitchell Waldman is a series of deeply human stories, all in a collection of interconnected stories exploring family, identity, and the many ways our past continues to shape us.

With a combination of short-short stories (maybe one to three pages) to longer stories Waldman tells of the how an individual copes with the influence of a difficult childhood, a dominant stepbrother, an absent father, and the many relationships that define a life.

I found funny individual stories while others were heartbreaking, and a few into the strange, but I have to admit that I finished one story and headed straight into the next one.

With fascinating titles such as ‘Honk for Jesus,’ ‘End of the World Sale’ and a few others, I saw the warped and extremely weird sense of humour the author has.

I particularly appreciated the way the author blends the ordinary with the extraordinary.

One moment you’re reading about a family conflict that feels painfully real; the next you’re contemplating ‘little green angels.’

In the end, for me, Brothers, Fathers, and Other Strangers was more than a collection of stories.

If you enjoy character-driven literary fiction that is intelligent, emotional, in your face, and occasionally unexpected, I will highly recommend that you give this book a read.