The Faded Tapestry

From a mysterious, fading, historical tapestry to a fish that speaks to a confused, grief-stricken boy, author Christy Burkley offers wickedly comical tales of eccentrics who collide with the limits of reality in "The Faded Tapestry: A Collection of Short Stories."

In "The Escape," an old woman must find a way out of her miserable existence. At first she thought that living with her forty-seven-year-old daughter Virginia in St. Louis, Missouri, would be better than a nursing home, but the brick apartment building where she now resides is no better than a prison cell. Her only wish is that she be buried in Tennessee, a wish that her daughter deems too expensive.

"Mexican Invasion" tells the story of May Sanderson, a loyal cleaning lady for the well-to-do, charitable Mrs. Taylor. May begins to have doubts when Mrs. Taylor brings a Mexican family on board to help revive the farm. When something bad happens to one of the children, May isn't sure how to react.

A compilation of eight fictional tales, "The Faded Tapestry: A Collection of Short Stories" presents casts of characters who come alive through their words and actions.