by Amy Hempel
First published 2005
In "Offertory," a woman spins tales for her lover like a modern Scheherazade. She recounts her sexual encounters with a married couple from her youth, using these stories to both entertain and control him. Across eight other stories, Hempel presents characters navigating the wreckage of relationships. A woman contests a parking ticket in a letter that becomes a statement of faith. Another woman drives toward New York, sending cryptic postcards to a former lover. The title story examines what remains after death and divorce: objects, animals, and unfulfilled desires. These nine pieces explore people searching for something or someone they have lost. Characters fall in and out of love while grappling with sexual obsession and everyday longings that go unmet. Hempel captures the complex psychology of human connection and disconnection with lean, startling prose.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, slice-of-life
160 pages · Hardcover · Scribner