Milk Blood Heat

Crafting a short story is no easy undertaking. Trust me, I know. So when I discover a debut author who writes with such confidence and mastery, I feel awe mixed with a tad (okay, more than a tad) of envy.Dantiel W. Moniz is the real deal. Each of her bewitching stories is about women in or around Jacksonville, Florida. Black women. Women who are facing universal challenges and connecting to a dark side of themselves.The stories – every single one of them is a gem – ask questions like these: What if you are an imperfect mother who discovers that your rebellious teenager is entranced with a French teacher who is also a predator? What if you have recently found out you are pregnant (you are married) but, in this uncertain world, wonder if you should continue it? What if you are a teenager living in a restrictive world, advanced by a misogynous pastor, and refuse to be defined by him? What if you recently had a miscarriage and are not yet ready to embrace your young stepdaughter, who craves your love?These are just some of the situations that Dantiel W. Moniz’s characters find themselves in. Each of these women are searching for something – a sense of authenticity a reconnect with a partner or a mother or a sibling or a friend. The prose is descriptive, luscious, with a touch of the grotesque. For example, this line from the woman who just suffered a miscarriage and watches her stepdaughter chew a gumball: “I watch her mouth become a red ruin as she chews, her small, perfect teeth smeared with candy blood.”Each reader always has a favorite in any short story collection. Mine is The Hearts of Our Enemies. But there were many contenders and that’s what makes this collection so special. I can’t wait to read this author’s next book or collection.

Milk, Blood, Heat will punch you in the gut, validate your emotions, make you smile and leave you wanting to read more.

I liked all the characters in the various stories. the short stories were very good but it seems to me there was never closure in most of them and that just makes me sad. Are there that many people out there so screwed up?

This book of short stories is absolutely AMAZING! On the surface, these stories are about mother/daughter relationships, friendship, race, loss, depression and suicide (CW). But, these stories are about so much more than that … I just don’t know how to effectively put it into words. One of the stories in this book titled “Monsters” absolutely wrecked me. Another story titled “An Almanac of Bones” has some really great quotes. Each story is so beautiful and complex, all for different reasons. I actually slowed down the speed of the audio just so I could savor and absorb every word. But, I promptly went and pre-ordered a copy of this debut novel.

A gorgeous, searing collection, full of vibrant characters, complex story-lines, and dazzling prose that seemed to leap off the page. This is one of those books I'll return to time and time again, to study, to analyze, to learn from, to enjoy. Because it's a collection, it's easy to flip through the book and sit with any one of these eleven stories at any given time. What gets me are the sentences. Phew, THESE SENTENCES. Each sentence is lush, layered, and brimming with life. You could not ask for a more complete, more thorough collection.If you haven't already, get this book now before it sells out due to the awards it will so surely receive.

This was an impressive collection of stories given that it was the author's first book. I found all the stories to be hard-hitting with a lot of emotional impact. Most stayed with me after I finished the book. The author writes beautifully and I think we can expect a lot more from her in the future. Highly recommended.

Every single story in this collection was gripping, vivid, and full of emotion. I normally like to read huge, never-ending fiction books that suck you into another world but this book managed to do that in a matter of a few sentences for every story. Dantiel Moinz is pure talent and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Amazing collection of stories that I was drawn to since the author has ties to my native North Florida. If you are looking for stories that all are wrapped up with a bow on top at the end this is not the book for you. The stories are multi layered and thought provoking without easy answers which I found enthralling.