Short, Vigorous Roots

The line between imagination and reality blurs in these forty poignant pieces written by first- and second-generation immigrant authors.This flash fiction anthology examines the experiences of being a transplant in a foreign land and looks critically at what it means to forsake tongues, traditions, and comforts in the hope of starting a new life in another world. These stories push readers to expand their understanding of the world beyond their own front doors.The collection contains forty affecting works written by several multigenerational immigrant authors from countries around the world, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Cuba, England, Finland, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Moldavia, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United States, and Vietnam. Regardless of their origin, all share the experience of putting down roots in new soil and examining how adapting to new lives and lands impacts the characters understanding of themselves and their community. The stories are organized into four parts: Past the Limits of the Familiar, The Change is Slow, Inheriting the Earth, and Tired of Waiting for Home. At a thousand words or fewer, every vignette redefines resilience and the meaning of home. Contributing AuthorsEllison AlcovendazNancy AuGenia BlumAida BodeRaffi BoyadjianPhilip CharterJames CorporaWalerian DomanskiIngrid JendrzejewskiVarya KartishaiMasha KiselRuth Knafo SettonNina KossmanRimma KranetShaun LevinAmit MajmudarMaija MkinenSayantika MandalErick MessiasA. MolotkovFeliz MorenoKathy NguyenAlexandros PlasatisIrina PopescuStuart StrominEdvin SubaiYong TakahashiAlizah TeitelbaumLazar TrubmanJose VargheseMarina VillaYara Zghbeib