Finding Ourselves in Every Connection: A Review of Re-Connections by Miriam Drori

Tracey Holland
Nov 5
3 min read

BLURB

Why are we attracted to certain individuals and repelled by others? Why do we fall out of contact with former friends, or fall out with them altogether? Why do we crave friendship?

The answers to these questions are many and varied, and some of them reveal themselves in the stories of this collection. Not all these connections desire to lead to friendship; some are business-related. Yet, even those connections work better with friendly comments and gestures. What happens to people who struggle with such social norms? Are they destined to remain friendless?

REVIEW

Without realising it, Miriam Drori has been interested in this topic for many years. That’s evident in the fact that these tales were written throughout her writing career. Some of them are completely or partly autobiographical, while others are purely fictional.

Reading Re-Connections felt like sitting down with a friend who truly understands people and the quiet complexities of life. Miriam Drori’s collection explores how we connect, disconnect and reconnect in ways both subtle and profound. Each story stands on its own, yet together they form a beautiful tapestry of human experience.

There’s such variety in these pages. One moment, you’re watching an awkward job interview unfold between two people who completely misread each other; the next, you’re walking beside a daughter as she unpacks her late mother’s hidden past. I was especially drawn to the story where a woman discovers an old photograph and realises her mother once had a life full of passion and secrets. It’s moving, relatable, and makes you think about how little we sometimes know about the people closest to us.

Another memorable piece follows an older woman who looks back on her life with quiet pride and sadness. You feel every emotion she holds onto, from joy to regret, and you’re reminded how memory itself can be both a comfort and a chain. Then there are lighter moments too, flashes of humour, irony and human frailty that balance the collection perfectly.

What makes Drori’s writing so engaging is its honesty. She doesn’t lecture or exaggerate; she simply invites you to look closer at people’s lives. Her characters feel authentic, with their flaws and vulnerabilities intact. There’s empathy in every sentence, a sense that she sees beyond appearances to the emotions we all carry beneath the surface.

The stories are short, but their impact lingers. Each one leaves you thinking about your own connections,the friendships that faded, the people who surprised you, and the small acts of kindness that change everything.

Re-Connections is more than a collection of stories. It’s a reflection on what it means to be human: to reach out, to stumble, to forgive, and to find meaning in the ties that bind us. Beautifully observed, heartfelt and thought-provoking, this is the sort of book you return to when you need reminding that every life, no matter how ordinary, is rich with stories worth telling.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Miriam Drori, author, editor and social anxiety warrior, worked as a computer programmer and a technical writer before turning her attention to full-time writing. Her novels and short stories cover several genres, including crime, romance and uplit. She has also written a non-fiction book about social anxiety. Her short stories have appeared in various anthologies and several now form a new collection, called Re-Connections.

Born and raised in London, Miriam now lives in Tel Aviv having

moved from Jerusalem, where the cosy crime mysteries are set. She has travelled

widely, putting her discoveries to good use as settings in her writing. Her

characters are not based on real people, but rather are formed from an amalgam

of the many and varied individuals who have embellished her life.

When not writing, Miriam

enjoys reading, hiking, biking, dancing and touring.

BLURB

Why are we attracted to certain individuals and repelled by others? Why do we fall out of contact with former friends, or fall out with them altogether? Why do we crave friendship?