by Grace Paley
First published 1987
Faith Darwin returns in these seventeen stories, navigating motherhood and political activism in New York City. She watches her sons grow up while grappling with divorce, friendship, and her place in an uncertain world. Faith attends community meetings, argues with lovers, and worries about nuclear war while making dinner. Her friend Ruth faces her own struggles with family and commitment. The women in Paley's neighborhood lean on each other through small crises and large fears. They debate politics over coffee, comfort children after nightmares, and try to balance personal desires with responsibilities to others. Faith questions whether her activism matters when the world feels increasingly dangerous. She loves fiercely but sometimes fails the people closest to her. These stories reveal how ordinary people carry the weight of political idealism alongside the daily work of caring for others.
Genres: family-life, american-fiction, contemporary, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: New York City
Period: 20th-century
Paperback · Penguin Books Ltd