A solid collection of short stories, the characters and stories of this book have lingered with me in the months since I read it. From spooked farm workers who gossip about a death in the field, to families trying to stick together when larger forces take them apart, the book covers a wide range of experiences that may otherwise be unexamined. The entire collection is also subtly woven together so that they can be read as standalones or as a novel-in-stories.
Winner of the 2023 Joyce Carol Oates Prize Finalist for the 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize Finalist for the 2023 Balcones Prize for Fiction Longlisted for the 2022 Story Prize
Shimmering stories set in California’s Central Valley, the first book in a decade from a virtuoso story writer.
“Her immediate concern was money.” So begins the first story in Manuel Muñoz’s dazzling new collection. In it, Delfina has moved from Texas to California’s Central Valley with her husband and small son, and her isolation and desperation force her to take a risk that ends in profound betrayal.
Another collection of stories, all themed around families and the uncomfortable, and sometimes hilarious, growing pains of childhood. Each story features a unique set of characters whose antics linger in your heart and mind. In turns hilarious and elegant, this is one of the most vivid short story collections I've had the pleasure of reading.
Finalist for the 2024 Caine Prize For African Writing
An Oprah Daily Most Anticipated Book of 2024
“Steady-handed and gut-punching. I’m in awe.”―NoViolet Bulawayo
In ten vivid, evocative stories set in contemporary Nigeria, Uche Okonkwo’s extraordinary debut asks: why are the people and places we hold closest so often the ones that drive us to madness?A teenage girl from a poor family is dazzled by her rich, vivacious friend, but as the friend’s behavior grows unstable and dangerous, she must decide whether to cover for her or risk telling the truth to get her the help she needs. A young…
I was drawn in by the first line, and stayed for the immersive and impactful story woven by a masterful storyteller. This book not only manages to view every character with deep empathy and compassion, but also manages to hold the reader's attention throughout moments when they may otherwise look away. This book is for anyone who wants a compact, concentrated, and sharp reading experience.
'Astonishing.' Stylist 'Electrifying.' O: The Oprah Magazine 'Brilliant and heartbreaking.' Marie Claire 'Propulsive and resonant.' Esquire
They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died.
One afternoon, a mother opens her front door to find the length of her son's body stretched out on the veranda, swaddled in akwete material, his head on her welcome mat. The Death of Vivek Oji transports us to the day of Vivek's birth, the day his grandmother Ahunna died. It is the story of an over protective mother and a distant father, and the heart-wrenching tale of one family's struggle to understand…
Inspired by various disasters, from climate change to the pandemic, my poems whirl together extreme weather, isolation, and interpersonal dysfunction into a gathering storm of a book. Split into five parts named for the four stages of hurricane formation and the eye of the storm, the book builds in intensity only to suddenly provide precious moments of calm relief.
Poems about unbridgeable distances are side-by-side with poems about deep friendships and romantic relationships. Shattered free verse poems that move across the page are interspersed with orderly sonnets and other forms. Guiding the reader through a maelstrom before leaving them becalmed, the book artfully reproduces the feeling of living in chaotic times.
