A big red dog fox roamed free in the beautiful valley where he was born. He had only one enemy, a cruel farmer who threatened to exterminate him. The fox was so frightened of the farmer that he seldom foraged on his property. However, one day the farmer brutally slaughtered his vixen and their two cubs. This cold blooded act provoked the broken hearted fox to wreak vengeance on the unsuspecting farmer. Another intriguing yarn by the Irish short story writer, Dermot Coburn, who is fast becoming known as a writer of substance.
Irish author Dermot Coburn's medium of choice is the short story. His stories revolve around a rich tapestry of timeless characters and their adventures in modern Ireland. Coburn lives with his family in Ravensdale, an idyllic village nestling along the southern slopes of Clermont Mountain in County Louth where he is a well known entrepreneur and businessman.
A Fox with very human qualities
The second short story from Dermot Coburn paints a poignant picture of a father, a life partner and a provider who is imbued with the full range of human emotions. Except he's not a human, he's a fox. As Coburn grows is stature as a writer, this is a story beautifully told in the best tradition of the great Irish storytellers and short story writers. It is a worthy follow-on from his first published story, Greenwell's Glory.
It is very easy to identify with the fox and to get to like him. Life is good for the fox but you get the impression that it is too good to last. The sense of foreboding grows and the suspense is maintained until the story reaches a violent crescendo. Depending on your views on life, love and loss, you will find the ending of this tale either very sad or very uplifting. Either way, it's well worth reading.
Noel Coburn
Review from renowned reviewer "scoofus" posted as follows:
This short story teller provides many surprises and displays a versalitility that one might not expect from a new writer on the scene.
I read this instalment expecting something similar to the earlier short story (Greenwells Glory) but what i discovered was a short story that tugged on my heart strings and provided a meaning far greater than the author ever intended.
Unlike the previous story, this is not a lively review of traditional country life in " old Ireland", rather it brings one on a journey through everything that is important in life and it does so in a beautiful, yet, difficult fashion.
Clearly, there are many more stories to come from Coburn and one can only wonder what topic he will choose to address next.
This is another one for your kindle or iPhone.
Read it, you will enjoy it and may just learn something about your own life.
Congratulations Mr Coburn, I await the next story with interest.
Scoofus