Your Duck Is My Duck by Deborah Eisenberg (Review by Grace Ward)

Rating: 4/5*

‘“It’s odd- no matter how you feel about a place, it’s as though you exchange something with it. It keeps a little bit of you, and you keep a little bit of it.”

I am ashamed to admit I had never heard of Deborah Eisenberg before reading this book, but when the email came through with the opportunity to read her new short story collection I only had to read a few lines of the synopsis before I knew I had to try and get my hands on it, and lucky for me I did!

Each story is woven and beautifully crafted so well that they could all easily be full sized novels and believe me when I say I would read every single one. The language used is enticing in such a way you dip in for one story and before you know it you have read all six. The themes discussed over the six stories ensures that there is something for everyone. This book will make you laugh loudly, smile softly, and make you think about the relationships you have with others and more importantly it will point the finger back at you and ask you to look at the relationship you have with yourself.

Although I may not fully understand every story and the message it is trying to convey, the writing is without a doubt beautiful, hopeful, and devastating all at the same time. The first story, which shares the same name as the collection: Your Duck Is My Duck, stayed with me long after I had finished it, I find myself often wondering how the main protagonist is doing and if she is ok? Did she make and sell anymore of her art?

I think its safe to say I will definitely be reading more of Deborah Eisenberg’s work, she is a true master of the short story and I am very happy that this was my first introduction to her storytelling.