Vindaloo and the T-Bird by Sarah Black

[reviews_and_ramblings]

This is for sure an unusual novella if you consider the ordinary production of Changeling Press. Basically it’s a sweet romance, if I have to find something similar with the same publisher, I would say like the Screen Shots series by Willa Okati, but without the naughtiness. Race is a eyes surgeon and he is in love with Vin, a classic car mechanic of Indian origins; there is everything to set them apart: social status, education, origins, even age, being Race 40 yeas old and Vin 27. When they met, at Race’s jobsite, being together seemed easy and good, but maybe they rushed it; at the first obstacle in their story, something really stupid, Race walked away from Vin without asking a reason, and without letting Vin give one. But Race has never forgotten Vin, and so, when he spots a vintage T-Bird in an used cars lot, he thinks to use it as a bait for the man; and obviously it works.

It’s nice to see how, having only Race’s perspective, at first the reader is all for him and “against” bad Vin who made him suffer; but when Vin enters the scene, even if he is not the narrator voice, it’s clear that there is another side of the story, and that maybe “innocent” Race is not so innocent after all. Like most men of that age, he is stubborn and hard to change; on the other side, Vin has a bit of the carelessness of the young age, and he has to understand that Race is, after all, of another era.

There is really nothing to take Race and Vin apart, if not their very strong characters, and some misunderstandings; they can talk it over, but they have indeed to talk, and not to assume that the other knows everything already. So basically, Vindaloo and the T-Bird is a nice tale of how two star-crossed lovers will make peace making out on the seat bench of a vintage car.

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1357

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Comments

[sarahblack5.livejournal.com]

thanks for reading the story, and for the review. Best, Sarah

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

You are welcome Sarah, it was a very nice novella.

Great story

[(Anonymous)]

Great review, and this was a great story. Short, yet I immediately felt I knew Race, the pov character, and wanted to know more about him. Loved the plot, loved the dialog, and loved the thoughts of the character. Hope Ms. Black writes more like this, it is very engaging.

Re: Great story

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I think she has some new short stories out with Changeling soon