First published 2001
Alice Thomas Ellis assembles stories where women writers transform betrayal into literary vengeance. The collection features authors who understand that placing an offender inside a story ranks among the most satisfying forms of retaliation. Rather than documenting real-world accounts of women seeking payback, these fictional works explore female responses to cruelty, betrayal, and casual meanness. Ellis examines the historical patterns of women's revenge against men, uncovering insights into the fundamental differences that create passionate conflict between the sexes. Contributors include Alice Munro, Joyce Carol Oates, Fay Weldon, Carol Shields, Agatha Christie, and others who channel their understanding of feminine fury into compelling narratives. The stories reveal how fiction becomes a weapon, allowing writers to exact perfect justice on paper when reality falls short.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
224 pages · Paperback · Duckbacks