Review: Portable Childhoods by: Ellen Klages

      When I opened Klages' Portable Childhoods the first thing I noticed was the introduction written by the wonderful Neil Gaiman.  The introduction was funny and heartfelt.  I felt as if I would like Klages' work before I had even read the text, and at the same time I worried that I was setting her book up for failure, perhaps expecting too much.

      Very fortunately for my word hungry eyes Klages' short stories are nothing but  magical and beautiful.  They are about childhood dreams and fears-through eyes both young and old, the vulnerability that comes along with being a child, the difficulty of bearing the sometimes ugly realities of the world around us and the magic that we hang onto to make it all bearable.  

      There are stories of transformation and time travel (a topic I never had much interest in-Klages kept me interested!), both sweet and bitterly sad.  Everything from God as a young boy baking fantastical creatures for the earth, to a young girls attic sanctuary, and my personal favorite "Guys Day Out" a story of a father and son-a love so great that I think it made my heart swell, it will forever leave a tiny heart shaped mark in my brain.  

      These are just a few examples of what Klages has to offer but the magic of her writing can only truly be understood once you have read her wonderful stories.  They are hearstfelt and full of truth and beauty.  It was a pleasure to let the warm honeyed words of Klages' writing to fill my soul. :) <3