by Lily Tuck
First published 2013
An artist discovers her dead ex-husband carried on an illicit affair for seventeen years before his death. A young couple in Thailand watches their friend, a U.S. army captain, lose his grip on reality. On a ship sailing toward Antarctica, a retired husband and wife struggle to save their four-decade marriage as ice approaches. A French family escapes to Lima in the 1940s, bringing catastrophe to the young woman who cares for their daughter. These characters span continents and decades, each confronting moments when buried secrets surface and careful lives crack open. The stories move from exotic locations to intimate emotional terrain, revealing how the past never truly disappears. Each character stands at a crossroads where loss creates unexpected possibilities and chance encounters force them toward uncertain futures. Tuck writes in precise, unadorned prose that exposes the raw truth beneath ordinary surfaces. The collection captures how single moments can redirect entire lives.
Genres: short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, emotional-journey
Setting: Thailand, Antarctica, Lima, Africa
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
160 pages · Hardcover · Atlantic Monthly Press