by Brady Udall
First published 1997
In the small towns of Utah and Arizona, ordinary people reach their breaking points. Buckeye the Elder abandons his respectable family role to reclaim his wild past. Under a star-filled desert sky, someone plots revenge in a story that builds to an unsettling climax. Ansie carries the scars of five failed marriages but considers joining an unconventional family despite her track record. In Vernon, population 800, young men fantasize about escape but channel their frustration into loud, destructive displays of masculinity. A handyman who struggles with relationships contemplates drastic changes to his life. These characters inhabit a landscape where dreams of freedom collide with the reality of small-town limitations. Each story follows people who want to break loose from their circumstances, whether through reckless behavior, revenge, or radical life changes. Udall captures both the comedy and sadness of their attempts to connect with others and find meaning in their constrained lives.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: breaking-free, found-family
Setting: Utah, Arizona
Period: 21st-century
224 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton