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More copies of this ISBNeBook editionsDrift: Storiesby Victoria Patterson
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:"If I could write just a single story as beautiful and heartbreaking and intelligent as the thirteen linked together in Drift, I'm pretty sure that I could die a happy man. Victoria Patterson makes me envious as hell, and I applaud her for it." --Donald Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff Welcome to Newport Beach, California--a community often found glittering in the spotlight, but one that isn't always as glamorous as we imagine. Through the lives of waiters and waitresses, divorced and single parents, and alienated teens, Victoria Patterson's Drift offers a rare and rewarding view into the real life of this nearly mythical place, all the while plumbing the depths of female friendship and what it means to be an outsider. Fresh, energetic, deceptively powerful and delightfully frank, hers is a voice you won't be able to stop reading. "Drift is one of the truest depictions of Southern California I've read yet. Amidst the rampant materialism and manicured malls of Newport Beach, Patterson depicts characters simultaneously at odds with, and in sync with, the cultural void around them. This work is subtle, honest, and a great pleasure to read." --Danzy Senna, author of Caucasia "Victoria Patterson has enormous talent." --James Lee Burke, author of Purple Cane Road Victoria Patterson grew up in Newport Beach and received her MFA from UC Riverside. Her award-winning short fiction has appeared in the Santa Monica Review, Florida Review, and Snake-Nation Review, among other publications. She lives with her family in South Pasadena, California. Review:"Patterson illustrates how deceiving initial impressions can be in her dark debut, a collection of 13 interconnected stories. At first glance, the characters seem to be blessed, living in tony Newport Beach, Calif., but Patterson quickly scrapes off the glitter, examining the complicated lives of Rosie, a confused teenage girl; John Wayne, a brain-damaged, homeless stoner; Anne, a lesbian psychologist in love with Rosie's mother; Melody, a trophy wife cheating on her husband, Henry Wilson, who has a secret of his own; and Joe/Christina, a transvestite. The majority of the stories feature Rosie, a nerdy teenager whose attempts to make sense of her life lead her down increasingly self-destructive paths, though she remains touchingly aware of others' suffering. In 'Winter Formal: A Night of Magic,' Rosie and a seemingly perfect blonde princess have a nightmare evening; in 'The First and Second Time,' Rosie violently loses her virginity. Later, in 'Joe/Christina,' Rosie, now an alcoholic community college student, finds an unlikely savior in the local transvestite. Patterson's unflinching account of the seedy side of a real-life Xanadu is frightening, immersive and wonderfully realized. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Synopsis:From a fresh new Southern California voice comes this wise and intimate debut collection that offers a fascinating glimpse of exclusive Newport Beach through the lives of the waiters and waitresses, divorced and single parents, and alienated teens who all, in some way, find themselves on the outside looking in. "Henrys House" introduces us to Melody and Katharine, single mothers who raised their daughters together—until Melody marries for money, sacrificing herself so that her mother and Katharine can enjoy the luxuries her beauty has earned them all. "Remoras" probes the transformative friendship between John, a waiter of ambiguous sexual proclivities, and Annette, the restaurants hostess, who has promised herself to a fellow Armenian. And then theres Rosie, whose evolution from a lonely child of divorce to precocious teenager, alcoholic college student, and eventual career waitress provides heartbreaking punctuation to this linked collection. Deceptively powerful and refreshingly frank, Pattersons stories—like those of ZZ Packer, Julie Orringer, and Nell Freudenberger—plumb the depths of female friendship and what it means to be an outsider, all while offering a rare and rewarding glimpse inside affluent Newport Beach. Synopsis:Welcome to Newport Beach, California--a community often found glittering in the spotlight, but one that isn't always as glamorous as we imagine. Through the lives of waiters and waitresses, divorced and single parents, and alienated teens, Victoria Patterson's Drift offers a rare and rewarding view into the real life of this nearly mythical place, all the while plumbing the depths of female friendship and what it means to be an outsider. Fresh, energetic, deceptively powerful and delightfully frank, hers is a voice you won't be able to stop reading. About the AuthorVICTORIA PATTERSON grew up in Newport Beach and received her MFA from UC Riverside. Her award-winning short fiction has appeared in the Santa Monica Review, the Florida Review, and Snake-Nation Review, among other publications. She lives with her family in South Pasadena, California. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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