This short story follows a humble girl who discovers that she has the God-given ability to lay hands on people and heal them. It was easy to see where the author got the spark for the idea. Following a young girl with an ability that so many would find skeptical but so many would find valuable. The story follows her quickly through adolescence to adulthood, marriage and even motherhood, all the way to her 60s. I found it fascinating how the author was able to show us so much about the character through so few pages. I’ve always wanted to read Anne Tyler, and this was a beautiful introduction.

This is a story about a healer who is grappling with understanding her gift. It comes to her when she is young and her family and friends seem to think her power is God-given. Susanna herself is not sure. Ultimately, like the protagonist, the reader must make of this what one wills.

I remember how I had discovered Anne Tyler while scouring second-hand bookstores many, many years ago. I am in possession of several of her books but for some insane reason never got around to reading one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, this turned out to be my very first Anne Tyler title!

This is the story of Susanna who has a miraculous gift* of healing ailments.

*Conditions apply. This gift works for some, while it doesn't work for others - thereby making it a semi-miracle.

While this was a short story, it definitely was a testament to Anne Tyler's masterful writing and I can see why she's so popular. The fact that she's something of a recluse only makes me think of her even more fondly! ♥

This short story is classic Anne Tyler. Although I still prefer her longer work, this is a nice little taste in between novels.

'Half-Truths and Semi-Miracles' by Anne Tyler is a previously published short story that is available again for the first time since its initial publication.

A woman named Susanna has a healing touch. Through her life it's a blessing and a curse. As she gets older, it's more of a curse. She just wants to be ordinary, and no one wants to view her that way.

I've always enjoyed Anne Tyler's work and this is no exception, even though it's brief. Her characters have a quirkiness and humanity that is hard to find in other writers. I was happy to find this and get to read it.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

4★ (Read Oct 2018)
“To tell the truth, I am not much for the shouting kind of religion . . . But I did want to do what I could.”

Susanna is one of three sisters, the first two of whom marry and drift away, living normal lives, we understand. When she was young and her Aunt Eunice was in bed with a migraine, Susanna placed her cold hands on her aunt’s forehead to cool her off.

“It seemed my hand needed to be laid there, it seemed all that coolness was begging to be poured into somebody.”

Migraine gone – forever! Miracle! Well, that’s what people said. Susanna just thought it was a fluke, but as people started coming to her father’s pharmacy to find her, she ‘treated’ many other people, some with equally startling results.

She is pressured into appearing at tent meetings (the shouting kind of religion) and reluctantly allows herself to be covered in long white cheesecloth. She’s not happy about that, but she feels she must help and would have been a nurse, had she had the chance.

She wonders where the pain and illness goes. Into her? If, as some said, her hands were an instrument of God, should she still be using them for normal things, like blowing her nose?

This short story gives us a sense of her whole life and how she (and we) deal with the expectations of others.

It’s as relevant today, shouting religion and all, as when it was first published in Cosmopolitan in 1974.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing for the preview copy.

Ann Tyler is the maestra of turning the ordinary, extraordinary. This short story is no exception...as a woman who spends her life performing miracles is devastated when she cannot perform the most important one of her life. The half truths and miracles, love and grief, and the miracle of moving forward when life appears to have ended.

I enjoyed this story and only wish it had been fleshed out into a novel.

The only person who I would trust to write about a person who has a gift of healing is Anne Tyler. Ok, maybe Emma Donoghue too, but definitely Anne Tyler.

Here's the opening line: "The first thing I tell people is, I’m just an ordinary woman. I’m just like you."

Susanna heals people, reluctantly at first, with a touch. And sometimes she doesn't. And with a deft hand and an elegant touch in this little account, we find ourselves accepting the truth of her tale and holding the "whys" and the "why nots" without question. That's the extent of Tyler's talent.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A beautiful, intriguing short story by a skillful, beloved writer about a girl who has the power to heal others. But is it a blessing or a burden? In 24 short pages, Tyler develops this charming and thought provoking character and long after you're done reading, will make you think about the story and its themes.. A great intro to new soon to be fans of Tyler.

Enjoy Ann Tyler and this short story confirms that she is one of my favorite writers. Will be doing one of her earlier books for my book club this month.

**Thanks to NetGalley for this little gem!**

Well, that went quicker than expected. I was really in that reading zone and the story was over. So, the good thing is, great story.

But the bad news is, it's very quick and then over. I'm not even sure what to tell you without ruining the story.

It's about a likable lady with a heavy burden. You'll have to read it to learn more. It's $0.99 on Amazon. I do like Anne Tyler, and it's an awfully good story.

One can't help but feel sympathy for Susanna's burden but this story of an ageing faith healer is rather sad. It's intriguing but I prefer Anne Tyler's longer books where the characters are fleshed out more. I don't know when this short story was written but I have a feeling that it's a previously published work that has been republished to capitalise on Anne Tyler's popularity. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Such a lovely novella and so Anne Tyler. Being born with a gift; it brings with it both blessings and anguish. It may be seen as a religious story, but it can be read as a story with a universal message as well.

Pitch-perfect re-published short story for Anne Tyler about a young woman who discovers that she has the power of healing. Curse or blessing? In just 24 pages, Tyler brings to bear her masterful narrative powers to create a whole world, a whole developed personality, and to convey all the grief and anguish and joy Susanna’s gift brings her and those around her.

Blessed and cursed by healing hands, Susanna Spright does what she can to help others in need whilst pursuing her own quiet life and marriage. Indeed, Tyler illustrates a woman who is otherwise consciously unremarkable in every way: "I am five foot two, a little overweight, my hair is grey. I generally wear an nice flowered dress and a string of pearls." Furthermore, Susanna fears that others-most significantly her suitor and future husband- will mistake her for someone special: "when he talked about angels, I twisted my hands and looked in other directions."
Tyler's gift, as ever, is a quiet, insightful and consequently devastating offering. Whilst reading, I felt as though I was sitting in sunshine with a trusted friend whispering confidences about their acquaintances in my ear. Not a word is wasted and so, in the briefest detail, (eg, "He smelled of rubber and grass and bubble gum") the reader understands the role each character is going to play.
Ultimately, I have only one complaint. This tale is too short. That is not to say that any element requires extension; lacks emotional impact; fails to capture the moment or the character or their intention 'just so'. It is only to say, that with my completion of another Anne Tyler offering, there is one fewer for me to discover. I envy those who have not read this yet.
Save it; savour it.

This book was typical Anne Tyler, great plot and well-developed characters. I seek her books out, as they never disappoint.

Another beautiful tale from Anne Tyler. Even though this is only a short story, it still packed a big emotional punch. Written in the way that only Anne can write, it was crafted beautifully and the characters were very well drawn, even though they appeared on barely a few pages. I wish this was a much longer read!

RATING: 4 STARS
​(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY​)​
(Review Not on Blog)

I love Anne Tyler's writing and she does not disappoint in this short story. This is perfect for newbies to Tyler in that you can get a taste of how she writes. And perfect for any fans like me in that it tides you over till a new book comes out. There are several of my favourite authors that I take my time in going through their books so I have something on hand when I need it.

'Peculiar thoughts used to strike me back then. I wondered: When I cured the sickness where did it go?'

Susanna’s gift enables her to perform healing miracles for the ill, but sometimes it just doesn’t work, maybe for a time it will give relief to some but not full recovery, hence Semi-Miracles. The gift is both blessing and curse, as loved ones drift out of her orbit uncomfortable with her strange abilities. Strangers travel from all over with the faith that she can heal them, even if she doesn’t always believe in herself or quite understand it.

The heart of the story is in who she cannot heal and what it costs her. This is a short, tender vintage story by Anne Tyler that is a little sweet ache to tide fans over until July when Clock Dance is out.

Available Now

Knopf Doubleday Publishing

I suspect this was an easy to come by galley, perhaps to whet our appetite for Tyler’s new book, [book:Clock Dance|37880810] to be published in July. I’ve already read the book, so for me the lure was simply that this was written by Anne Tyler. I’m a fan and have been for a long time. My attraction to her characters and novels is that they are about ordinary people, sometimes quirky, living ordinary lives as most of us do, while managing the things that fate throws in our way. This was a little different because Susanna who wants us to believe at the outset the same of her, is different than most of us. She is a healer, actually a sometimes healer. “The first thing I tell people is, I’m just an ordinary woman.” This is a short story, only 24 pages long, so I won’t say more, except that any fan of Anne Tyler will be interested in knowing if Susanna is right.

I received a copy of this story from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group through NetGalley.