About the Book
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In “The Monster of the Gunpowder River,” the fisherman-narrator catches “The Monster”—a huge trout who is able to speak. The two develop an unlikely friendship.
Heather Visits Wallis” and “Wallis Visits Heather”—are bookend stories of a friendship between two young women separated by 107 years.
“Of Flagpoles and Fireflies” and “Emmett, Lizzie, and the Cherry Tree” show love transcending death.
In “The Amazingest Dog of Baltimore County,” a woman’s life is changed by an amazing rescue dog.
“How Fishing Almost Ruined My Life—and How a Man in a Can Saved It” is a modern-day genie-lamp story.
What the stories have in common is The Gunpowder River, a 6.8-mile-long river that meanders through northern Baltimore County, Maryland. This popular year-round trout stream runs from Prettyboy Dam to Loch Raven Reservoir, metro Baltimore’s primary water source. Large parts of its course are accompanied by the NCR Trail, a rails-to-trails project that was once the bed of the North Central Railroad. This scenic trail runs from Ashland Rd.in Baltimore County about 20 miles to the Pennsylvania line and another 20 miles to York, PA.
The Monster of the Gunpowder River and Other Fabrications is a collection of seven short stories of magical realism written by retired emergency physician and playwright, Michael Stang.
Click to learn more about the backstories and research that went into the making of the book
