Atlanta Minute is a
publication providing the heartbeat of the metropolitan Atlanta area. Shelby Norris is a writer for the
publication. Shelby has reported on the
people and circumstances surrounding the lives of the locals and in doing such has
been immersed into the current of the events herself. Unavoidably she had made friends, lost
friends, and influenced the history of the area. She, being an investigative reporter knows
all too much about circumstances unknown only to a few and the unspoken
motivations underpinning the events that shaped the region.
There is Miranda Linn, a woman looking younger than her
years, with a spark of individualism which sets her apart. Independent and basically a kind person,
Miranda is unfortunately caught in the undertow of the drug culture. She gravitates to those with addictions and dysfunctional
lifestyles, and ultimately winds up OD’ed in the ER with a BP of ninety over
eight-eight, not strong enough to sustain living.
The message conveyed by Julie Egert in The Left Side of the Stairs might be best summed up by the incident
when Shelby opened Miranda’s last diary. Egert writes:
“She could almost feel some of the girl’s
energy vibrating beneath her fingers as she turned the pages to one of her
favorite entries. It was the conviction
behind the words, almost leaping off the page, that struck her. Just a physical object left behind, but
surely something of the girl’s essence remained.
“So, I’ve made a mess
of things, and I suppose I should be ashamed of the way I treated those that I
loved. Most of the time I am, and that
shame and worry consumes me. I can feel
the regret constantly gnawing at me, and yet I am happy that I can regret. Too often I said and did the wrong thing, but
maybe a little regret isn’t uncalled for. It means you’ve learned something, at least. Taken a lesson away. If you’re still around and have reflected on
the situation enough to feel shitty about it then that means you’ve still got a
chance to change it, or at the very least do better for yourself the next
time.”
Unfortunately there was no next time.
The Left Side of the
Stairs brings in the charm of the South to a wide variety of characters gravitating
around the metropolitan Atlanta area. Written with a fair balance of dialogue and description, Julie Egert
takes her time to reveal her storyline, bringing depth of detail into her
characters. Beautifully clad with cover
art depicting the Atlanta skyline in autumn, one can sense the change which
will be a theme in the galley of the book. The Left Side of the Stairs is
a book written with much tenacity, drive and fortitude by Julie Egert. I recommend this experience to readers
seeking a novel with very unique characters living within circumstances often
unbeknownst too many.
Buy this book at Amazon.com
