by Amy Bloom
First published 2009
A mother watches her daughter transform into her son, navigating uncharted territory with fierce love while discovering unexpected romance in her own life. Fifteen years after a terrible mistake tore them apart, a stepmother and her stepson find each other again, tentatively rebuilding the bonds that once connected them. In "The Story," a determined widow sets her sights on a married man, crafting and recrafting her narrative until she creates what she believes will be the most satisfying conclusion possible. These characters face modern life's unexpected turns with varying degrees of grace, stumbling through loss and longing while searching for connection. Bloom presents people caught between who they were and who they might become, wrestling with emotions that resist easy answers. The collection explores how families reshape themselves around change, how desire drives us toward both wisdom and folly, and how we construct the stories that help us survive our own lives.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, lgbt, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Kindle Edition · Vintage
Content warnings: mental-illness