by David Means
First published 2005
In Michigan, three teenagers driven by desire and recklessness embark on a string of crimes that pulls them deeper into danger. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, a goldfish observes from its bowl as the humans around it navigate the slow collapse of their marriage. Across these stories, an unfortunate man finds himself repeatedly targeted by lightning strikes, as if the sky itself has marked him for punishment. David Means crafts these tales with the precision that earned his previous collection, Assorted Fire Events, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Each story captures people at moments when their lives pivot toward the unexpected. The teenagers discover that crime changes them in ways they never anticipated. The married couple struggles with forces that threaten to tear apart what they once built together. The lightning-struck man confronts a fate that seems both random and inevitable. Means reveals how ordinary people respond when circumstances push them beyond their limits, showing the raw emotions that surface when life takes dramatic turns.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, crime, contemporary
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: crime, family-drama, psychological
Setting: Connecticut, Michigan
Period: contemporary
211 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: violence