Description

A chair is just a chair …

or is it?

This debut collection of fifteen short stories explores whether there is much more to this everyday piece of furniture than it first appears. The chairs in question are all ‘Bentwood’, the innovative creations of the designer Michael Thonet, first introduced in the mid-1830s. As each new character is revealed, and their individual loss becomes apparent, it is evident that chairs are not just for sitting upon and they carry their own history etched within the wood.

One chair becomes a weapon when rival females clash; another a makeshift stage for an older woman, whose decisions have never been her own; a Bentwood rocker is a symbol of independence and choice, and a magnificent butterfly chair befriends a troubled child. In the final story, this assortment of chairs is brought together around one grand table, where Walter, Michael Thonet’s fictitious butler, prepares for a dinner party he will never forget.

“Jan skilfully weaves together the everyday details of the characters’ lives, bringing them vividly to life. She creates a tapestry of stories from a variety of individual character voices you will fall in love with. When you reach the end of the book, you will want to read these fascinating character portraits all over again.”

Bethany Rivers (poet, author and creative writing tutor), author of ‘Fountain of Creativity: ways to nourish your writing.’