A ruthless Latin American dictator, two rebellious Gypsy girls, a tormented man who risks jail in order to visit his childhood home, and a lifelong friend who commits the worst act of betrayal you could imagine are just some of the characters whose worlds brutally collide in Wild Youth.
Mike Craig dares to dig deeply into his characters' innermost emotions as they struggle between opposite courses of action and recklessly follow their innermost impulses, often with life-shattering consequences, when they are forced to choose between right and wrong, loyalty and betrayal, and sometimes even life and death.
Set in fascinating locations including the Deep South, Europe and Latin America, these unforgettable short stories have drawn widespread praise from literary publications and reviewers.
"Mike Craig creates a hauntingly delightful world . . . [His] fiction will pull you along for a ride into the hearts of his characters, and then leave you wondering if the ride was really into your own heart."
─Michael F. Latza, Editor, Willow Review (Literary Magazine)
"Mike Craig's stories pay attention for us, they slow lives down so they're allowed to breathe and be seen . . . Details emerge where we would not have noticed . . . Although anything is possible within each world Craig creates, it's all in the way he handles anything that appears unusual with such graceful nonchalance."
─Paul B. Roth, Editor, The Bitter Oleander (Literary Magazine)
"Bold storytelling . . . the start of something brilliant."
─Victoria-Lynn Bell, Editor-in-Chief, Helix (Literary Magazine)
"Mike Craig is not afraid to let his characters . . . reveal their emotions. This . . . gives his stories depth."
─Mary Troy, Editor, Natural Bridge (Literary Magazine)
"Powerful, succinct . . . Hauntingly revealing and diverse in its experiences . . . Recommended reading . . ."
─Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
