Two Short Stories by Enid Shomer

"Chosen" and  "Tourist Season" by Enid Shomer (2007)

Enid Shomer (Tampa, Florida, USA) is the author of six collections of poetry, two of short stories and her debut novel Twelve Rooms of the Nile is drawing a lot of highly favorable reviews.    Today I read two stories from her most recent collection of short stories, Tourist Season.

Most of her stories are set where she grew up. in Fort Myers area of Florida, an area where lots of people move to from colder climates in the USA when they retire.   I will just post briefly on two of her stories, both of which I enjoyed.    

"Chosen" centers on an older woman, not sure how old but she is ten years into her third marriage.  She is a teacher and her husband, ten years younger than herself,  is an old hippie.    One day she answers her door and finds on her door step two Tibetan monks who tell her she is the reincarnation a long departed Guru.    At first Iris  wants no part of this idea but soon she is on a chartered jet from Fort Myers to Tibet.    Shomer did a great job of making this all seem real and I found it fascinating to see what happened when Iris got there.

"Tourist Seasons" is about a retired couple living in a condominium community in Fort Myers, Florida.    Everyone living there is at least 65.  Milt used to be a high powered international industrial equipment salesman.   Frieda was a mother and housewife.   This very insightful story is about the changes they go though as they readjust their lives and their marriage.  

I enjoyed  both of these stories and hope to read more of her work in 2013.

Mel u