Drastic : Stories
Author(s): Maud Casey
Meet the college graduate working in a whole body–donation clinic; a young woman obsessed with Benedictine monks; a middle-aged woman who becomes a stand-in talk-show guest; unlikely friends who meet in a domestic violence shelter; a young girl and the father who stole her away to escape his wife's mental illness; a graduate student from a suburban family who believes her physical connection to the world is deteriorating. Maud Casey -- author of The Shape of Things to Come, a New York Times Notable Book -- explores how we survive modern crises of loss and love through the lives of emotional and geographic nomads. Each flirts with madness and self-destruction while reaching toward life. These simple gestures of optimism and vitality, gorgeously rendered, make drastic an unforgettable collection.
Review(s):
“Well-written . . . novelistic, its theme of loss made palpable and powerful . . . such riches.”
“Tak[ing] a dazzling narrative dare.”
“Refreshingly unaffected. . . . There’s a deliberate tenderness in Casey’s handling of her characters.”
“Striking . . . a gem.”
“A complex, mature, and compelling novel.”
“Skillful, moving . . . A winning combination of emotional resonance, subtle humor and wisdom.”
“Stories . . . that absolutely soar with illuminating little details that crack everything open and reach for hope.”
“Edgy, thought-provoking, charged with raw emotion, Drastic is an impressive collection from a rich and wonderfully unpredictable talent.”
“Sad and funny, Casey’s warm-hearted, fine stories reach like a pair of outstretched arms for comfort and truth.”
“[Drastic] is a treasure trove of jewels to live for--stories beautiful, multi-faceted, and fierce with light.”
ISBN: 9780060512552