A Pig in the Rumble Seat and Other Short Stories by Edward Hujsak - Book Review

Edward Hujsak has assembled an amazing collectionFordson Tractor," and "Trucks." The ongoing effort
of stories from his own life as well as a broad rangeof Pa trying to appease Ma was humorous and so
of tales of the 1930s depression era in his book "Atrue of most marriages. I was very touched with the
Pig in the Rumble Seat." His short stories showcaseaccount of Carl in "The Parting." "A Pig in the Rumble
his highly imaginative creative side. He is laugh-out-loudSeat" highlights Hujsak's subtle humor and genius for
funny, highly intelligent, and a skillful writer. Theseusing word pictures that enhance the reader's
attributes came through in his stories, "Escape" andvisualization of every detail of the each incident in the
"The Toy." I especially enjoyed his insights intostory.
human nature in "Tatiana." I was not ready for theHujsak's poetry is well worth pondering, beautiful,
unexpected surprised ending in "The Sub."contemplative thoughts on nature, the Cuban Missle
Set in the Northeast in New England and in theCrisis, the results of applied force, and the promise of
Southwest in San Diego, Hujsak has includedlife. His care for details in his fictional pieces and his
well-crafted personal experiences from his engineeringuse of regional and ethnic dialects in his dialog add
career in the field of rocketry. His specialty was inrealism to his stories.
propulsion. He has also included a wide range ofI was awed by the photos included of the Tiger
subject matter, and varied writing styles. His writingteam, standing in front of Atlas with the first Centaur
includes science fiction, poetry, and parody. As aupper stage and the liftoff of Atlas Model "E" from
gifted story teller, Hujsak has taken time to hone hisVandenberg Air Force Base and found the accounts
skill in the art and craft of writing.of this era filled with interesting facts new to me.
The book is a melding of memories I could identifyArticulate and brilliant, Hujsak is a natural
with: the ice truck with the ice tongs, and the oldcommunicator with a gift for telling stories that keep
kitchen ice box, the quick war-time marriages, andyou "listening" or in this case reading. "A Pig in the
the off-key choirs of aging men and women singingRumble Seat" is excellent entertainment, refreshing,
their hearts out during Sunday worship.and skillfully packed with a balance of information and
I found the first-person accounts of life on the farmstory.
especially enjoyable, "The Still," The Ubiquitous