Music Through the Floor: Stories

Erik Puchner's Music Through the Floor is a hauntingly beautiful collection of stories recounted by a diverse group of similarly alienated heroes and heroines. While the thinly veiled lesson at the end of each tale may remind some of childhood fables, Puchner's characters, whose struggles are remarkably genuine, are likeable enough to make this a welcome debut.

At times hilarious in his irony, Puchner also has a serious side that infuses many of these stories with an unexpected heaviness. Among the most memorable is "Children of God," a story about a seriously depressed young man who becomes the caretaker of two mentally retarded adults whose daily routine, while tragic, is also triumphant. "Mission" is the story of an ESL teacher whose need to please his students, and the immigrant community in which he lives, is so strong that it tows the line between heartbreaking and pathetic. In the end, a student's real heartbreak is so poignantly rendered that the teacher, and the reader, are left speechless.

Not all of Puchner's stories are created equal--some lack depth, and others can drag at times. Still, on the whole, Music Through the Floor is a mentally and emotionally rewarding read, and most will look forward to more from this talented newcomer. --Gisele Toueg