Looking at her characters as if through a pair of binoculars, Ann Hood captures the extraordinary in the ordinary. A pregnant woman left by her husband cooks obsessively to cope with her loss, but never tastes a morsel. In an attempt to stay sober, a young alcoholic seduces her priest and embarks on a tour of caverns with him. An adolescent girl picks up bird-watching as a hobby and, in her newfound habit of observing others, discovers a budding romance between her mother and her neighbor. These stories, many published in The Paris Review, Glimmer Train, Story, and The Colorado Review, are full of characters seeking an escape from their lives while uncovering small moments of understanding that often have huge implications and consequences. They discover that they can only find peace once they stop searching for a way out. Through a set of diverse voices and lively storytelling, Hood creates authentic, personal, secret worlds full of eccentric detail.
- ISBN10 0393059006
- ISBN13 9780393059007
- Publish Date 16 July 2004
- Publish Status Inactive
- Out of Print 15 August 2012
- Publish Country US
- Imprint WW Norton & Co
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 240
- Language English