Frances Thimann explores the feelings and emotions of those who have lived a significant part of their lives. Through her short stories, she challenges stereotypical views, showing the old as complex individuals with distinct voices of their own. The stories are told from the point of view of the different generations and raise the issue of intergenerational understanding.
Cello and Other Stories has been produced with extra concern for clarity of print.
" ... elegiac ... "
Ross Bradshaw
"Old age is a subject often dismissed as dull and uncomfortable, while the elderly themselves are perceived as a nuisance rather than an inspiration. This collection sets out to challenge standard caricatures and stereotypes attached to older people and in doing so, the author – a graduate from the NTU Creative Writing MA - has created eight beautifully written short stories that are observant, reflective and poetic, if somewhat melancholy in tone. Those who are now slow on their feet, ill and alone were once bright, vibrant and young and have the experiences and knowledge of a lifetime to share. Old age comes to us all (if we're lucky), which is why this kind of writing serves as an uncomfortable reminder of our own mortality. As Abraham Lincoln famously advised, 'It's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.'"
Aly Stoneman, Left Lion 32