Movable Feasts — John Flanagan

Deceit. Love. Remorse. Passion. Grief. Desire. Anguish. Powerful emotions so deeply intertwined make their way through John Flanagan s collection of short stories, Movable Feasts. Flanagan first captures our attention with French Army Captain Marc Claudel s unmistakable and unwavering connection to his beautiful wife, Solonge, which evokes the gentler, kinder view of the world and the serendipitous route two soul mates take to find one another. Yet he also takes us down a darker road and explores the moment a Catholic priest finally faces his demons. Flanagan effortlessly brings to light the darkness of unspoken cruelties in Up at the Palace, yet also masterfully illustrates the beauty of innocence in Altar Boy. The short stories of Movable Feasts are about the fine line between virtue and regret, of integrity and disgrace; they are about the emotions in which we delight and detest. But, perhaps most importantly, they are about exploring the choices we make that we must live with, for better or for worse.