On Writing and Storytelling: ‘Comings and Goings’ Gets a New Review on Amazon UK!

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Across the Pond: Comings and Goings Receives Its First International Review

Some mornings begin quietly—but this week, one brought a small, extraordinary ripple. Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen just received its first international review, courtesy of Amazon UK.

Meg Learner, a thoughtful reader and longtime fan of Jim Garraty’s journey, offered these words: “Lyrical writing, very thoughtful and a beautiful encounter.” It’s the fourth written review and fifth overall rating for the story, and I’m genuinely touched. Her support means a great deal.

Jim’s narrative is stitched together with memory and melody, longing and layered silence. To mark this lovely milestone, I wanted to share a moment from Comings and Goings that seems to echo Meg’s sentiment—a passage where music and memory collide, and emotional truth quietly asserts itself:

I had given this party my best shot—tried to tolerate the noise, the sweat, the half-stale Budweiser in my hand… Hard rock dominated, roaring over the voices, but every once in a while, something softer sneaked through. ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All” landed unexpectedly, and before I could stop myself, I was back in ninth grade—back in the summer when Kathy Maraschino blew my world apart… “Time heals all wounds.” It wasn’t true. Time didn’t heal anything. It just buried things under layers of new experiences, waiting for the right song—or the wrong one—to bring them roaring back.

This is the soul of Comings and Goings: what’s buried, what resurfaces, and who notices. Thank you, Meg, for seeing Jim. And thank you to everyone—whether you’ve reviewed the story or simply carried its rhythm with you.

Here’s to more lyrical encounters, wherever they may find us.

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