A lovely and moving collection that will resonate with many readers.
Joseph presents a book of short stories looking at the human condition from many perspectives.
In this captivating anthology of 16 short stories, the author introduces a number of compelling characters at various stages of life. Each of the stories is told from a first-person perspective, narrated by characters both male and female, young and old, chronicling the innocence of youth, the wisdom of old age, and everything in between. The subjects (some funny, some sad) run the gamut of human experience. “Parking Cars” examines the strains of friendship as a young man finds out more than he’d like about his good friend as they work as valets at a high-end country club, testing their bonds of loyalty and trust. Family dynamics are front and center in “So Far From Town When Everyone Else Lived Close,” in which a Fourth of July gathering ends with a confrontation and changes a family forever. Family themes are also explored in “Home for Thanksgiving,” in which a young man thinks he’s deftly dodging questions about his love life from inquisitive relatives. “Crazy Eddie” is a look at the relationship that two youngsters have with an eccentric and largely shunned character in town. Other stories involve small-town living, true love, lost love, and other topics that will be relatable to many readers. The topics are all accessible—the real strength of this collection is Joseph’s simple but effective writing. There are no dramatic plot twists here, just recognizable characters and situations animating simply told but powerful stories. Joseph doesn’t hit the reader over the head with his theme, though he identifies it in an author’s note as age, in its many different forms: “Age of our bodies. Age of our minds. Age of our hearts. Age of our souls.” Joseph covers all of that and more in this lovely collection, a deceptively profound book that will appeal to anyone who appreciates the power of good storytelling.
A lovely and moving collection that will resonate with many readers.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: 9781735919157
Page Count: 193
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.
With only a month left until the world ends due to a swiftly approaching black hole, Don and Rodney, a retired gay couple, road-trip from Maine to Washington to spend their final days with their son.
After reports that a planet-swallowing black hole is making its way toward Earth, Rodney and Don—who have been together for 40 years and survived everything from homophobia to the HIV crisis—decide to pack their belongings into an RV, say goodbye to their neighbors, and travel from Camden, Maine, to Washington to uphold a promise to spend their final days with their son. They can’t wait any longer, since there’s already chaos around the country: “Military vehicles in the streets of most cities and towns. Looting, rioting, the burning of cars and buildings and people, all of it had already happened.” As they make their way west across the country, they encounter fellow travelers ranging from close-knit families to free-spirited hippies, some of whom have come to terms with the impending end of the world and others who haven’t. While the story seems to be asking readers what they would do if they had 30 days left to live, and reflects on what different kinds of acceptance might look like in the face of unavoidable tragedy, it loses some of its poignancy in a series of thinly padded monologues about the meaning of life. Clearly intended to pack an emotional punch, it’s failed by an abrupt ending, and the way the journey’s mystery—which will be obvious to many readers—is revealed by an info dump in the last chapter.
An existential crisis that steps on its own final moments.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
ISBN: 9781250881236
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
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