Book Review | Pivot: Stories of Change

Reviewed by Heather McNamara

A pleasant assortment of short stories that makes you smile and gives you hope

We live in a world of endless options. Most of the time, these choices are insignificant. But once in a while, a single choice can determine the course of our lives. All it takes is a moment, just one defining moment. Are you going to keep following the same path over and over again? Or are you going to take a chance and do something different?

That is the premise of Pivot: Stories of Change, an anthology of short stories edited by Sara-Meg Seese. Drawing together a chorus of voices from multiple genres, this collection praises the power of a single moment and a single choice. The characters are in a position to choose, and they end up in places they never thought they’d go. They take chances on long-buried dreams, forgive their enemies, heal old wounds, and find new connections. It’s all very heartwarming.

A poor man who gave up his dreams of being an artist to pursue wealth finds his way back to his first love. A married couple bonds over the perfect cup of tea. A young autistic woman makes a bold move to claim her independence. A woman loses her job and regains her dream of being a writer. These are just a few of the uplifting stories found in Pivot, which has a little of something for everybody, from family drama to women’s fiction to dashes of dystopian and fantasy.

The tales have a thin, wispy feel to them, and they don’t try to break new ground exactly. That’s not really the point here. These works are meant to be enjoyed as simple, feel-good tales that put a smile on your face. Seese’s collection of talent pools together disparate elements but does it all with a warm and comforting tone, like a big bowl of your grandmother’s chicken soup.

Most of the stories reflect a distinctly American, mostly Christian worldview, so it’s not quite as multicultural as billed. It may be helpful to know about the Christian bent before reading, but it will still feel as warm as promised for readers outside of the faith.

Pivot‘s greatest strength is in its sincerity. There is real passion here from the authors, and it’s about a topic you can really get behind as a reader. Life is surely always awaiting the next pivot. In a cynical world like ours, such earnestness in perspective is refreshing.

This assortment of sweet tales wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s meant to lift you up and inspire you to make your own change. The world could always use a little more pivoting.

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