by Tom Franklin
First published 2005
Franklin brings readers back to the rural South he knows so well in this second collection of interconnected stories. The characters who populate these tales navigate the complexities of small-town life where everyone knows everyone else's business. Old grudges simmer beneath polite conversations. Family secrets threaten to surface at the worst possible moments. A cast of locals gathers at the Alumni Grill, the kind of place where coffee stays hot all day and gossip flows as freely as sweet tea. Franklin explores how the past refuses to stay buried in communities where memories run long and forgiveness comes hard. These stories examine the bonds that tie people to places they might want to leave but somehow never do. The emotional weight of unfinished business presses down on characters trying to make sense of choices made years ago.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, southern-gothic, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate
Tropes: community, found-family
Setting: South
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · M P Publishing Limited