We Won't Be Kissing by Chris Dungey follows Hector Fritch, taking readers through a string of his experiences from childhood to the teen years, and through to adulthood. Early on, he witnesses a fire started by Lynwood Bliss and learns of Mr. Milner’s death, followed by years of awkward sexual encounters and teen angst. As an adult, Hector deals with injuries, including a severe back spasm and knee surgery, requiring help from neighbors and therapists. He is hammered by financial setbacks, like losing money from his 401K, all while maintaining his home. Hector cares for the people around him, such as Gwen’s injured partner and baby, and spends time with friends and family. His daily life has all the excitement expected from household chores, shopping for discounts, and attending the odd funeral.

Chris Dungey’s We Won’t Be Kissing is told through alternating first- and third-person points of view, a technique that works well by providing both intimate access to the protagonist’s thoughts and a wider perspective on the surrounding events. The story is character-driven, which suits the focus on everyday experiences and personal interactions, allowing readers to engage with the people rather than relying on the plot alone. The setting is detailed and draws the reader in, particularly the depiction of the Mennonite bakery, which creates a strong sense of place through small, concrete details. Character development is gradual and realistic, reflecting changes in behavior and relationships over time. The pace moves steadily without rushing, supported by clear and straightforward prose that reflects the author’s skillful control of rhythm and flow. Overall, I liked this book for its grounded portrayal of life, which readers who appreciate subtle storytelling will find rewarding. Recommended.

Hector Fritch is the star of Chris Dungey’s anthology, We Won’t be Kissing. In this collection of short stories, we progress through his lifetime experiences. We first meet him as a primary school child working to earn pocket money doing odd jobs such as snow clearing. A little older, he first experiments with glue sniffing, and then we learn of his days as a Boy Scout. When cleaning the hamster cage, fourteen-year- old Hector and his eleven-year-old brother Chick have a very nasty shock. Further stories follow his early interest in girls and subsequent marriage to Doris, with a hint that she was already pregnant. Set in the rust belt area of Michigan, Hector works in the almost bankrupt car factory, but then the recession hits, and the rest of his working career is not mentioned. In the later stories, we follow Hector into retirement. He battles with the supermarket automatic checkout, helps with charities, and befriends a chicken. He’s a kind, gentle soul, and if his second wife, Cheryl, weren’t still working, they would have fallen on hard times after the recession. It’s a peek behind everyday life in an area of America where many struggle to survive.

The twenty stories in We Won’t be Kissing by Chris Dungey are both quirky and wryly amusing. The book moves at a steady pace as it covers the life of Hector Fritch. His thoughts as a young boy are so true to life, his reasoning that of a primary school level, and then it alters as a teenager and finally as an adult. Many everyday experiences may bring memories of your own life journey, as the author reminds us how important some events are, especially those early days of dating, of innocence and self-doubt. When, in later years, Hector struggles with modern technology, many of us can relate to that, too. Dungey also drops subtle hints; for example, when the two-week marriage to Doris begins to pall, he only briefly refers to her swelling stomach. The reader only then realizes it is a shotgun affair. I thought that was very clever. In his later years and retired, it was sad to see him clipping coupons and hunting for supermarket price reductions, yet Hector Fritch comes through as a warm and compassionate man whom I grew quite fond of as I turned the pages.