Whether far from home or longing to escape, the people in these stories find themselves displaced from their normal routines. They misread the signals and wind up stranded on lonely beaches or seizing the moment before happiness flits away.

"MacDonald applies insight, power, and delicacy to create characters between whom the psychic space virtually sizzles." —FOREWORD REVIEWS

"engrossing"—MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

"With elegant prose enlivened by shards of mean humor, MacDonald captures how hard it is to love and/or trust abroad or at home."—KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Author Marylee MacDonald has done an absolutely masterful job of presenting her readers with short stories so beautifully written that the characters will stay in your mind long after the story, and indeed the book, is done."—READERS’ FAVORITE

"In her collection of twelve brilliantly-written short stories, MacDonald explores the pain and beauty of human relationships. MacDonald’s writing is raw and visceral, creating a strong emotional connection between her characters and the reader."—US REVIEW OF BOOKS
"Bonds of Love and Blood is brilliantly written and nothing less than emotive."—HOLLYWOOD BOOK REVIEWS

"Poignant, honest,and compelling... Highly recommended."—PACIFIC BOOK REVIEW

"MacDonald dares to question which is the greater, more unsettling risk: the alluring intimacy of foreign terrains, or the intimate dangers of domesticity?"
—Tara Ison, author of Reeling Through Life and Child out of Alcatraz

"Her characters remind us of our universal and contradictory longing for solitude and for connection. Savor this book. Enjoy being in the hands of a generous and visionary writer."
—Eileen Favorite, author of The Heroines

"These elegantly crafted stories brim with emotional wisdom and eloquence. Bearing you around the world, they will imprint themselves, deeply, indelibly, upon your heart."
—Melissa Pritchard, author of Palmerino