The Village: Stories 1637-2097

By Karl H. Schumacher
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The brief yet passionate experiences of its citizens serve to show how humanity is shaped by common struggles, romances, and reveries. From the ancient to the futuristic, The Village creates a historical microcosm of the evolution of humanity. Told through the experiences of the young, the old, and the unborn, each character is created to feel timeless in their common intensities of life.

The Village is used as a stage, community, and a link to its residents across generations. It is where we all came from, and people have been brave, quirky, doubtful, and persistent since its very beginning.

“Schumacher’s foray into historical fiction could not be more timely as acknowledgment of the Pilgrim’s New World 400 years later is under examination and commemoration across the region. His inventive imagery and historic tone transport you to a time when the world was new and possibilities were endless. A remarkable tribute to the history upon which the Cape and the country as a whole have been built.”

- Brian Shortsleeve, Publisher of Cape Cod LIFE

“The Village, Karl Schumacher’s boldly imagined book of stories, does what collections are meant to do – provoke you to think. It also happens to be very well written, funny where it needs to be, and always clever. But it is the book’s premise that leaps out – one bit of earth, a village, is seen through the arc of time, from the landing of the first English settlers on Cape Cod to a not too distant future. We see repeated patterns of love, frailty, greed, intelligence, and stupidity unfold on an unchanging spit of land, telling us, in a very gentle way, that as much as things change, they stay the same. ”

- Paul Vidich, acclaimed author of The Coldest Warrior, An Honorable Man, The Good Assassin and works of non-fiction.

About the Author

Karl H. Schumacher is a retired executive living in Connecticut and writing on topics of his passion.

Published: 2020
Page Count: 202

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carissa schumacher
Authentic Ode to the Spirit of All People, Past, Present, and Future

This powerful book is an absolute must-read and deeply important work. Woven in braids of interconnected stories, the Village acknowledges the unity of all people, as well as the importance of the land we live on. This book reminds us all that though the stories, characters, and times may can change there is a simple truth found in the heart of all life: a deep desire to matter, to serve, to experience love. Times may change, society may evolve but often we all wind up where we began. In the heart of the stone.

The phrase "it takes a village" rings true in this work. But sometimes it isn't the people in the village, it is the essence of the village itself- the ancestors, the possibilities for the future generations that remind us of the importance of our choices in the present. These stories not only shed honoring light on the buried history and indigenous tribes of the land with depth of historic accuracy, they portend and prophesize what is to come.

The author is a wordsmith and archaeologist. Not of vast globes and reaches beyond. But an archaeologist of a Village that can be extended to every Village. Our families, our towns, our cities. The author has chosen a simple village rich in the history of the foundations of this nation.

He redefines the meaning of hero as being one who honors, respects, and learns from the past. The hero of integrity, resilience, and faith. The hero of the present who unites past and future. The timeless hero who does not need to be remembered or receive medals and ticker tape. The hero who is a hero because it is all he and she can be. The true hero knows the truth and does not need others to see and justify it.

The author of this book is a hero. A man who clearly devoted years of his life to researching, living, and creating a new truth for this Village on Cape Cod.

There is mastery, precision, and fluidity to this book. It is a worthy read for anyone seeking a wonderful historical fiction collection. And a necessity for anyone truly appreciative of the wisdom and strength of the human heart and spirit. I would give this 10 stars if I could.