In the stories in Winning Chance, Katherine Koller explores second chances, how we find them, and how we find the courage to take them.
Whether they are contractors running into an ex while on the job, a busy mother pursuing community theatre, or a family building an illegal ice rink after an environmental collapse, Koller’s characters are empathetic portraits of characters searching to connect.
WINNER – Canadian Author’s Association – Alberta Branch 2020 Exporting Alberta Award
WINNER – High Plains Book Award, Short Stories category
Read a sample story from the collection, The Winter Police .
“These stories punch above their realist, slice-of-life weights, thanks to Koller’s specificity and description.” — Alberta Views
“…Each story following was filled with a humanness that is rare; for me to discover a book of stories with equal care given to creating short works of words that are so finely created with threads that weave just right — compassion, real character and characters, and language that repeatedly hits just the best tone.” — Write and Review
“I’ve got a soft spot for the short story and truly appreciate a master at work. Koller’s stories are taut and beautifully layered, converging on the themes of longing, redemption and second chances. These characters are courageous, dimensional and full of life — they feel to me like people I know — and the challenges they face are somehow familiar. As we enter the stories, we feel Koller’s words physically: ‘Take me. Take me with you, my dear,” these pages scented with marigolds. Thank you for such a beautiful collection.” — L.E. Daniels, author of Serpent’s Wake: a Tale for the Bitten
Previewed on Quill & Quire
Previewed on 49th Shelf
Praise for Art Lessons:
SELECTION – Alberta Readers’ Choice Awards Short List
SELECTION – Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize Short List
SELECTION – Top 10 Books by Edmonton Authors in 2016 –Edmonton Journal
“Koller’s novel explores universal concepts of what it means to exist and grow, to root and transplant—as an artist, a woman, a human, a living thing. Art Lessons has the potential to take root in your heart—let it.” – Room Magazine
“Koller’s ability to entertain through her writing is evident”–Winnipeg Free Press
Great Plains Publications gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided for its publishing program by the Government of Canada; the Canada Council for the Arts; as well as the the Manitoba Department of Sport, Culture and Heritage; and the Manitoba Arts Council.
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