The River Healer and Other Stories

Paddy Reid spent thirty years working in some of the poorest communities in the United States ? mainly in the Deep South ? as a handyman, prison visitor and outreach worker. In The River Healer, he recounts his encounters with some of the remarkable people he met along the way ? and their resilience in the face of grinding poverty. From patching up "Red's shack" ? and falling through the floor into the bayou ? to working with people with AIDS in the early days of the crisis, this collection entertains and enthrals in equal measure. The River Healer is a unique, heart-breaking record of life in a particular time and place, by an award-winning writer. The book features thirty stunning black-and-white photographs by the late American photographer Al Clayton, who left an indelible record of life in the Southern United States. AUTHOR: Paddy Reid spent many years in the United States. He writes stories about an inner-city community he calls "Portside". His short fiction and creative non-fi ction can be found in numerous US and Canadian university literary journals. He received the Anton Chekhov Award for Short Story in 1996, and the Winter Award (Colorado) in 2017.