Chicago Story Press

What are the moments in a life that can change everything? In her essay, Randi Schalet explores how a thousand no’s affected her son. LINK IN COMMENTS

What does it take to begin again? What happens when you have to leave the country you love because you have no choice. Our new book collected stories of those who came to the U.S., who often lost everything and who began again. These are sad, haunting, but ultimately inspirational stories. They show how resilient and hopeful people truly are. https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-America-Stories-Resilience/dp/B0HHLHSYHN

What do we really know as we go through the motions of life and grapple with the things we find unpleasant? What is actually true when we confront sickness, death, and a mother making a break for the hallway nearly naked? Julia Mines explores this question in “One True Thing.” LINK IN COMMENTS

Did you know that child marriage still occurs in the United States—and that it’s far more common than many of us realize? Here is one woman’s story of what it was like to become a child bride. LINK IN COMMENTS. **e

How do we honor the people who mean the most to us after they’re gone? One woman found an extraordinary way to honor her husband. It was her final act of love. LINK IN COMMENTS

What do our childhood friendships teach us about the larger world we live in? And which friendships are encouraged—and which are not? Two young girls—one Black and one white—share a hospital room while having their tonsils removed. They comfort each other and form a sweet, immediate bond. But their mothers’ reactions teach them something about the world beyond that hospital room. LINK IN COMMENTS *******al

How does a sweet child grow up to become someone capable of terrible things? Jill Quist looks back at her sweet younger brother and the forces that shaped him. The little boy she loved eventually became a man who went to prison after shooting at members of his own family. Looking back, she can see how some of what happened early in his life may have set him up for a fall later. LINK IN COMMENTS

What are the small ways we help or hurt our relationships with others? How do we pull apart and come back together in the ordinary moments that can make all the difference? This essay is a lovely exploration of the small moments that matter. LINK IN COMMENTS

What happens when we come across someone who isn't like us? This story is about a child who encounters a boy who is different. She treats him with respect, and he shows her that everyone has a place in this world, and that sometimes life shows us how we're all connected. LINK IN COMMENTS

What happens when you think you understand the rules of the world—only to discover you are horribly mistaken? That’s what happened to Don Iannone. While traveling to South Korea to interview potential vendors, an ordinary business trip took a terrifying turn when he suddenly found himself under investigation for espionage. A true story about assumptions and cultural misunderstanding. LINK IN COMMENTS