Description:
A moving, observant literary fiction collection capturing the quiet pivot points, hidden fractures, and enduring bonds of everyday lives in the Canadian West.
Set against the crisp backdrop of southern Alberta and the historic Calgary neighborhood of Bowness, Walking Leonard explores the delicate balance of care, grief, and identity across generations. In intimate tales of aging partners facing cognitive decline, parents navigating shifting boundaries with adult children, and individuals shedding outgrown versions of themselves, ordinary moments transform into indelible reckonings. Sophie Stocking delivers empathetic prose that honors both the biting chill of winter and the tender warmth of human connection.
With sharp emotional honesty and an instinct for the wild grace of nature, this collection asks how love endures when familiar realities slip away. Readers who appreciate character-driven domestic drama and nuanced Canadian storytelling will find deep resonance in every page.
Brief description:
Burdened by the notion that a career should encompass everything, Sophie Stocking changed her major so often, she narrowly escaped a degree in General Studies. Sophie found the courage to pursue fiction at the Alexandra Writer's Centre and went on to study under Aritha van Herk at the University of Calgary. Her debut novel Corridor Nine was released by Thistledown Press in 2019.
Review Quotes: "The slow-burn of Sophie Stocking's debut short story collection is lovely in language, superb in detail, gorgeous in naming all that lies around and within us. Stocking writes the small in order to capture the sometimes-soundless revelations that largely impact the course of her narrators' lives. Quiet hearts coupled with pondering minds; this story collection is an exquisite read." --Lee Kvern, Author of 7 Ways To Sunday