“The keeper of the cage and other stories” is a collection of seven short stories by Andre Dubus III. The originality of this collection lies in the power of the characters and the author’s microscopic point of view on the human condition.

Externally, the stories in this collection focus on characters from life’s most difficult paths with some link to captivity. Most of the characters, main or minor, are prison workers, have spent some time in jail, or go to jail in a short time. Internally, however, the true incarceration of the characters comes from their guts and their vulnerability to an unfinished business or an unresolved life problem. In all the stories, conflicting emotions intermingle as the characters seek acceptance from themselves and others.

The first story, “The Cage Keeper”, is the one with the most developed plot. Still, the reader is more impressed with the story’s characters than with the plot, which involves a fugitive convict and his hostage, a young prison guard.

The second story, “The Duckling Girl”, is about an incest victim who willingly receives more abuse from cruel teenage boys.

The third story, “Wolves in the Swamp”, is about the coming of age of a boy who goes hunting alone.

The fourth story, “Forky”, is about an ex-con who has turned seven. When relating to a woman he has picked up at a bar, he remembers a fellow inmate who has reminded him of his brother.

The fifth story, “Mountains,” is told from the point of view of Sally, a waitress who loves a Vietnam veteran with PTSD.

Sixth story, “White Trees, Hammer Moon”, is about a man named Rory, a loser in life and a father figure who is about to go to prison. In the story, Rory spoils a camping trip with two children in the mountains of New Hampshire.

The seventh story, “Last Dance”, is about the turtle hunt where the young character Reilly remembers a woman while the turtle hunt is described in detail.

“The Cage Keeper and Other Stories” is in paperback with 224 pages and ISBN: 9780375727740.

The most prominent features of the book are the hauntingly real characters in the stories and the eloquence and mastery of the author with the use of the English language.

The author, Andre Dubus III, after obtaining a degree in sociology, decided to write and later worked as a bounty hunter, private investigator, carpenter, bartender, actor, and teacher. Andre Dubus III has won numerous literary awards and awards, ranging from a Pushcart Award to being a finalist for the 1999 National Book Award. He lives in Massachusetts with his family and teaches in the master’s program in writing at Emerson College and Tufts University. . In addition to “The Cage Keeper and other stories”, he has such novels as “Bluesman” and “House of Sand and Fog”.

I am deeply impressed with the writer’s insight and empathy towards the spirits of his characters. Any aspiring fiction writer will learn a lot about character development by reading Andre Dubus III, especially “The Keeper of the Cage and Other Stories.”