The Stories That Make Us

About the Book

The Stories That Make Us

There is something for everyone in this debut collection of nine compelling short stories. With a myriad of universal themes, Shawn Gale demonstrates that he knows a thing or two—or maybe three or four—about the art of storytelling.

Offering a lineup of varied, colourful characters, The Stories That Make Us spans from World War II to the present, from love to hate, and from joy to anguish—and everything in between. In this rare gem of a collection, you feel as if you're living in the skin of its characters. And when the epiphanies come—for better or for worse—they ring like hammer blows upon the forge of life.

Gutsy, nuanced, and thought-provoking writing by an author who's been to those dark places from which few seldom return. The Stories That Make Us is literary writing at its finest. It's a contemporary collection sure to become a classic.

There is so very much...

"Shawn's writing brings the reader into his world substantially and sensually, through his use of lingo, emotions, tangible textures and imagery."

-Whistler Independent Book Awards 92/100

About the Author

Shawn Gale writes on Canada’s West Coast. He is a graduate of the Fraser Valley Writers School, where he earned a Master’s diploma. He graduated from Humber Colleges School for Writers with a Letter of Distinction. He completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing at Bircham International University. He was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Creative Writing department from 2014-2017, where he earned two certificates in screenwriting. His stories have been published in anthologies and periodicals in the US and Canada. He is the author of the acclaimed, award-nominated story collection The Stories That Make Us. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed YA fantasy series World of Dawn. He is a member of Burnaby Writers Society and The Writers’ Union of Canada https://www.writersunion.ca/member/shawn-gale.