Esther May Morrow’s Buy or Borrow is a collection of short stories told from the perspective of individuals who stumble across Ms. Morrow’s store and leave with an item from the store. Esther May Morrow, herself, is a mysterious lady who runs this unusual gift shop. Her store contains various interesting items that seem unrelated, and the store seems to be a warren of these strange items. The store and Ms. Morrow also appear to be unchanged from the nineteenth to the twenty-third century. Items from the store cause unusual changes in the lives of the person possessing them.

I enjoyed this very unusual collection of stories. Arthur Everest has a creative if not warped imagination and has created five very unique tales. I grew up a fan of the old television show, The Twilight Zone, and I found these stories reminiscent of that type of tale. The five individuals featured in this collection all have some personal issue that needs to be addressed, and the item they find in the store in someway effects a ripple in time that offers a new perspective on their problem. There is a child who doesn’t ever want change in his life, a professional cardsharp who has secret to hide, an old man and his dying dog with the opportunity to alter the path towards death, a soldier determined to alter the fate of his family at any cost, and a futuristic male prostitute with a passion for Olivia de Havilland. All five tales are vastly different and offer a lesson or warning of some kind for the main character. My favorite is the child’s story because his tale comes about out of a child’s sense of naivety and innocence and yet is something we’ve probably all thought. My least favorite is the soldier’s story because he sought to effect or change history for personal reasons and the ending seems unfair. All five stories are worth your time and are entertaining. I am looking forward to more intriguing tales with Esther May Morrow and her unusual store.


Reviewed by: Stephanie B.