by John Updike
First published 1962
In "A&P," Sammy works the checkout counter at a small-town grocery store when three girls in bathing suits walk in. Their casual defiance of the store's unspoken dress code draws the manager's disapproval. Sammy finds himself caught between his mundane job and an impulse to defend the girls' freedom. His decision changes everything. The collection's title story follows a teenage boy grappling with religious doubt until he discovers beauty in the intricate patterns of pigeon feathers. In "Wife-Wooing," a husband attempts to seduce his wife while their children sleep nearby. These stories capture moments when ordinary people face unexpected choices that reveal who they really are.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: United States
Period: 20th Century
296 pages · Hardcover · Knopf