IT'S NO FUN ANYMORE

In Micka-Foos’ debut short-story collection, women struggle with oppressive fears and issues of identity.

In the opening story “The Experiment,” Leah convinces her husband, Derek, to take part in an experiment that a self-help book has inspired—she’ll play the role of a 1950s housewife and leave “big decisions” up to Derek. She finds the idea comforting; a murdered local girl nearly the same age as her young daughter is just one of myriad things stoking her general uneasiness. These eight stories largely feature female protagonists, most of whom are mothers and are (or were) married to men. Fears weigh them down, from the perpetual worries of childrearing to the unrelenting echoes of a traumatic past. The discontents of being defined by others’ perceptions is a theme that runs through the collection. In the title story, Melanie and her husband, John, attend conventions where people dress in costumes (like comic-book characters); she doesn’t want to be the subdued wife that her sister seemingly expects her to be, but even in costume, Melanie’s itchy “bubblegum wig” suggests a restrictive role. (“Maybe the weight of all the things I never say is catching up with me.”) Micka-Foos pulls no punches, shrouding these narratives in gloom. The men are cumbersome: Husbands dismiss or condescend their wives, while other males hit on women or do considerably worse. A few stories, while rooted in realism, prove thoroughly unnerving. A standout is “A Safe Haven for Writers,” in which a woman plans to work on her book at the Salt House in Oregon. As she gets caught up in the sordid history of the retreat, the caretaker understandably puts her on edge, as she’s all but certain he’s listening to her private telephonic conversations with her spouse.

Gripping, sharply written tales that are rich in metaphor and atmosphere.