by Grace Paley
First published 1975
In these seventeen stories, Grace Paley brings readers into the dense fabric of urban existence. Her characters navigate the complexities of family relationships, particularly the intense bonds and conflicts between parents and their children. The city pulses around them, creating both opportunities and obstacles as they struggle with love, loss, and the daily battles of modern life. Paley's fictional world connects across stories, with characters and situations that echo and reflect each other. The stories reveal how ordinary people face extraordinary moments of change, often arriving suddenly when least expected. Through intimate portraits of city dwellers, Paley shows how personal relationships survive and transform under pressure. Her characters confront the realities of urban living while maintaining their connections to each other, creating a portrait of community that feels both fragile and enduring.
Genres: fiction, family, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: New York
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
Hardcover · Andre Deutsch