"The stories in this collection engage immediately. Each story comments of a memory of that very first time - who doesn't want to remember college and loves? A tender look at mid-life, and end of life experiences. The stories written in first person capture the reader’s emotions."
There is something for everyone here
First Time contains a variety of stories
beginning with four dopey college students driving to Florida for spring break and ending with my favorite, a touching story of a
widower re-tracing the last vacation he took with his beloved wife, Anne. It’s a good collection and an excellent way to get to know
the author, Frank Hopkins. R. E. Reece on August 15, 2016
...book of short stories entwining each one together...
I enjoyed reading
how you can relate to past experiences in some way to your own life...I certainly could especially...Santa Claus Stories and My Trip
Alone...these stood out for me. Judith L. Kirlan July 29, 2016
First Time is nostalgia at its best.
The variety of stories touch on
some part of a reader’s own life, from a spring break trip to an exotic love. Frank E. Hopkins does a fine job of weaving the stories
that, at first seem to stand on their own, but then all come together. Each story taps into the emotions of events throughout life
in a way the reader can relate. All-together, First Time makes a great beach read with each story taking just a little of your time.
I recommend it. Jack Coppley June 13, 2016
First Time is a witty, eclectic, entertaining collection of memorable times
Author Frank
Hopkins' creation "First Time" is a witty, eclectic, entertaining collection of memorable times in the lives of ten individuals. First
impressions are always the lasting impressions and "First Time" will make a pleasant dent in your enjoyment psyche. Amazon Customer May
17, 2016
…being reminded of similar firsts from my youth
… fond memories as a student or the traditional Spring Break trip to Florida.
The bitter sweet memories of my first car and a trip alone. But by far was a memory I didn't have but could live through his writing,
the trip to Sorrento. Beautifully written, through his words, I enjoyed the walk up from the beach, the breeze from the sea and the
aromas coming from the multiple restaurants he visited. I could feel the charm of the city in his writing. William Kennedy April 13,
2016
…will make a pleasant dent in your enjoyment psyche.
Author Frank Hopkins' creation "First Time" is a witty, eclectic, entertaining
collection of memorable times in the lives of ten individuals. First impressions are always the lasting impressions and "First Time"
will make a pleasant dent in your enjoyment psyche. An Amazon Customer on May 17, 2016
First Time is a collection of ten short stories by Frank E Hopkins. While each story has separate characters they are linked by the theme that each story exposes the main character to the first time they experience an event participated in by all. The stories include anticipation of the happiness they expect; the dismay and wonder they feel during the event; and the surprising ending. The stories cover a wide range of events in childhood, coming of age, romance throughout life, recovery from divorce, and disappointments in the declining years.
The collection includes:
“Passages South” – male college students in search of excitement on a trip to Florida during spring break;
“My First Four Days in Sorrento” – romance by a mature man, that perplexes his children;
Two college freshmen who meet and start a romance in “My First Psych Class”, taught by professors behaving strangely, who appear in need of counseling;
“My First Car” – purchased from a Mafia - connected used car salesman;
“My First July 4 Rehoboth Beach Weekend” – parties and misguided fireworks;
“Steve’s First Woman – self-explanatory;
“The Romance Life Cycle” – danger, danger do not eat yourself out of love;
“Santa Claus Stories ” – why parents lie to their children;
“The Ski Trip” – two friends offer to introduce a recently divorced man to the single life at Sugarbush, VT, illustrating the validity of the theory of unforeseen consequences.
The last story, “My Trip Alone”, relates the bittersweet recollection of a widower who adjusts to his wife’s death earlier by revisiting their favorite fall trip to see the autumn foliage in the mountains of West Virginia.
