Short Stories to Take Us to a Better Place

Fiction has tremendous power to transport us to new places and to reveal familiar places in new ways. This collection of short stories helps to imagine, explore, and talk about a culture of health. The definition of health in these stories is broad: physical and mental and emotional, social and spiritual. Health, after all, is rarely just a single, simple thing. 

Take Us to a Better Place is an anthology of writers who imagine what a healthy life might look like. Whilst set in America, there are learnings we can take from each of the ten short, health-related, fictional stories. 

Writers such as Yoon Ha Lee, Karen Lord and Madeline Ashby offer thoughtful, compelling and unique responses to participating in a culture of health that actively supports economically, societally and politically. Their stories are hopeful and cautionary tales and give us a call to action and the opportunity to rise to the occasion of contributing to a culture of health. 

Stories include:

Reclamation – Daniel, an Indian teenager, is losing hope. Just as he’s about to give up, he encounters a horse and with the help of a Native Elder, he reconnects with his culture. This equips Daniel with the tools to raise himself up. 

The Flotilla at Bird Island – Kyle and Bobby are long-lost lovers from different backgrounds. When they reconnect, the disparities and inequities between their two worlds are thrust together with contrasting effect. 

The Plague Doctors – In 2079, a mysterious illness called grey pox is killing large portions of the population. When the illness finally reaches the remote Pelican Island, a team of researchers must muster all of their meager resources to help find a cure. 

Download your free copy here.

To use these stories as a way to ignite a lively discussion, download the conversation guide. 

These stories offer thoughtful, compelling and unique responses to participating in a culture of health that actively supports economically, societally and politically. Flush with open-eyed realism, they engage the world’s problems and provide us with a call to action and the opportunity to rise to the occasion of contributing to a culture of health. 

Read them today and let us know what conversations they start!