by Grace Paley
First published 2020
Faith Darwin watches her children play in Washington Square Park while pondering divorce and politics. Across three collections spanning 1959 to 1985, Paley's characters navigate the small rebellions and large upheavals of urban life. A mother argues with her teenage son about Vietnam. Neighbors gossip over coffee about absent husbands and present troubles. Women balance family duties with activist commitments. These stories capture the voices of working mothers, immigrants, and community organizers living in New York City. Paley writes with an ear for authentic dialogue and an eye for the moments when private struggles meet public events. Her characters find themselves caught between love and disappointment, duty and desire, as they make their way through ordinary days that prove anything but simple.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, american-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, slice-of-life
Setting: New York City, Washington Square Park
Period: 1959-1985
404 pages · Kindle Edition · Virago