by Kevin Wilson
First published 2009
At the Nuclear Family Supplemental Provider, an employee arranges professional stand-ins for families missing grandparents who have died, fallen ill, or simply turned cruel. Across town, a young woman sorts letter tiles at a Scrabble factory, rebuilding her life after her parents burst into flames without warning. Wilson creates characters who navigate a reality where the impossible becomes routine and the ordinary carries hidden dangers. These people face extraordinary losses in a world that blends everyday life with surreal events. The stories follow individuals as they develop unexpected strategies for surviving grief and finding connection when traditional family structures collapse. Wilson examines how people adapt when death arrives in forms both familiar and bizarre, revealing the resilience humans discover in the face of unimaginable circumstances.
Genres: fiction, short-stories, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, surreal
Setting: Nuclear Family Supplemental Provider, Scrabble Factory
Period: 21st-century
224 pages · Paperback · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: death