Frog Heaven and Other Stories

Frog Heaven and Other Stories - Short Literary Fiction by Janet Cameron. The stories have been published previously in good lit mags, and/or won writing awards.


Award-winning short fiction by Janet Cameron. Uncomfortable truths slice through the artifice of characters as odd, funny and unique as any you might meet in real life. You may even recognise aspects of yourself in ways you may not have thought possible.

Janet Cameron's short fiction has been widely published in national women's magazines and reputable literary journals. Her work has been described by the Chairman of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists, Val Dunmore, as equal to anything in the repertoire of Joyce Grenfell. Princess Michael of Kent was so impressed with her title story, Frog Heaven, that she asked her for some writing tips!

Reviews from Amazon.com

5.0 out of 5 starsThese short stories offer thought-provoking, glimpses into the complexities ...
By John on April 28, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
These short stories offer thought-provoking, glimpses into the complexities of human relationships. They transported this American reader seamlessly into the British landscape and psyche, complete with brooding rainy days and quirky care-worn characters. The entire collection can be read in an hour or less, or the stories can be savored one at a time as time allows. Time well spent.
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5.0 out of 5 starsDelightful
By Maria H Blanco on March 22, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Janet Cameron crafts beautifully developed characters and vivid imagery in this collection of short stories, as she deftly maneuvers readers through gritty textures, to surprise endings, and down the winding bends of memoir. Nearly as much poetry as prose; Cameron's language --alternately sharp and flowing, compassionate or lilting-- spins woolen, nubby and silken yarns that make you yearn for more.
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5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent Collection of Stories
By dernhelm on August 3, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition
I enjoyed reading all the stories in this book.

Janet Cameron has a smooth style that makes reading a pleasure. Each story is quick and snappy but has a depth that makes it compelling. Most of them raise a sense of unease, as though there's a sinister punchline coming. Even when the implied doom never materializes, there's always a twist at the end. All the stories are well crafted.

Anyone who loves words will appreciate the beautiful prose and vivid imagery.

                                                       Reviews from Amazon.co.uk
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful collection
By Zoe King on 24 May 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
In this delightful collection, Janet Cameron brings us the many vagaries of the human condition; people lost in their own lives, or in the lives of others. The characters come to such life that we feel the author must have met them, or others like them. The same is true of setting. The sea plays a role almost throughout, beautifully captured in its various moods, so much so that I felt a little cheated when we moved to the woods for Zara's story.

Overall, the touch is deft, with much going on beneath the surface. If I have reservations, they are that one or two of the pieces would have benefitted from the light touch of an editor, and one or two from a longer treatment. Zara in particular lends itself to a far longer story, the main character (and her premise) is so engaging,and we learn so little of her backstory, that I found myself wanting more!
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5.0 out of 5 starsEmpathy for the Human Condition
By Mr. F. Parker on 19 April 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
The stories in this collection have all been published elsewhere in the past but this is the first time they have been offered in a collection. I am glad that Ms Cameron chose to do so.

What I most like about the collection is the empathy with which MS Cameron draws the characters with which she populates her stories. There's Zara, a woman camped in the woods near a cottage occupied by a couple escaping from urban life. Reminiscent of Alan Bennett's 'Lady in the Van', this story ends with a touching twist.

In the title story, a recently widowed woman is struggling to come to terms with her grief as she watches her toddler son. Washing up plays a key role in two stories, acting as metaphor for the problems faced daily by women. All but one of the central characters are women and these stories deal with their relationships with men and the other women in their lives; as carers, wives, mothers, daughters, girl friends. The exception concerns a boy rejected by his parents and enduring a series of placements in foster homes.

Reading these stories one cannot help but feel, not only that Ms Cameron understands the human condition, but that she has a wonderful way of conveying that fact to us, her readers, so that we, too, are able to share her understanding.

Highly recommended
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
By ann perrrin on 20 April 2016
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Love this woman's stories very well written. So where is book two....hope it will be soon.

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