An astonishing variety of voices–male, female, young old–narrate the 20 diverse stories in this, Lauren B. Davis's first collection, though which alcohol flows like an unholy river of destruction and despair. In locales such as Halifax, Spain and rural Ontario, thanks to Davis's clear focus this sharp, exploratory mix goes beyond the margins of kitchen sink realism. Recognized as the work of an important new writer, this is where Lauren B. Davis's...
In Paris, the so-called radiant city, Matthew Bowles, freelance journalist, suffers a dark time. Holed up in a bare apartment in the 8th arrondissement, he's recuperating physically, though not emotionally, from injuries sustained in a shooting in Hebron. His memory of the event is murky, and although the media has deemed him a hero – he may or may not have tried to save a man and his child – Matthew is repulsed by the attention. Unable to work, Matthew reluctantly...
The fourteen stories in this dazzling collection continue acclaimed author Lauren B. Davis' exploration into her characters' psychological landscapes, and ensure her reputation as a writer of razor-sharp intellect and deep compassion. Weaving these stories together is the notion that what one wants and what one needs is not always the same thing: a tale of a heart-broken father coming to terms with the drug-overdose death of his son; a child who must choose between the safety of...
Where does one person end and the other begin? That's the question that haunts Irene, a girl growing up in Toronto during the Great Depression. Living with her father, a pharmacist who finds comfort in the bottle, and her mother, a woman teetering on the edge of her own depression, Irene's crumbling family situation mirrors the economic and social turmoil just beyond the front door of their respectable, working class neighborhood home. As she grows into a young woman, Irene finds...
