Synopses & Reviews
Joanna Scott's unparalleled gift for storytelling has inspired hyperbole from critics and her devoted fanbase, which includes some of the most preeminent writers of our time. But not since Various Antidotes, a finalist for the PEN/FaulknerAward, has she turned her talents toward short stories. At the seaside wedding of two lovers kept apart by the caprices of fate, a doting uncle looks on while his errant brother, father of the bride,struggles to free himself from a locked bathroom across town. A young woman arrives in Jazz Age New York with stars in her eyes and a few coins in her pocket and after a string of failed jobs, she thinks she's found salvation in a romance with her boss at a local greasy spoon but learns that her idea of herself and others'ideas of her are quite different. A bright business man seems content with all the trappings his good fortune affords, until a flat tire and a chance encounter with a couple of mechanics in the country upsets his entire view. Here Joanna Scott offers a group of tales that celebrate her acknowledged sense of character, plot and her gift for capturing the breathtaking tension even in life's quietest moments.
Review
"Each of these quietly well-crafted stories takes the reader to a place or an emotion that is palpable and enlightening. And each one will leave a lasting impression." Elizabeth Dickie, Booklist
Review
"Scott serves up a haunting collection of characters all searching for human connections in their lives." Library Journal
Review
"One of America's most underrated, important writers, Scott gets better with every book. A must-read." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"In Scott's off-kilter tales, life is governed by chance, we are less logical than we think, and the world is full of mystery." (Grade: A-) Entertainment Weekly
Synopsis
An anthology of short fiction by the critically acclaimed author of Various Antidotes explores the underlying complexities and tensions of seemingly ordinary moments in life, as it follows the stories of a young woman in Jazz Age New York involved in an unlikely relationship with her boss at Woolworth's and a young businessman whose car breaks down in a country town. Original.
Synopsis
From an ardently admired, award-winning writer captivating new stories of love lost and regained. In her first book of short fiction since
Various Antidotes, which was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, Joanna Scott offers a group of tales that compellingly demonstrate her special gift for capturing the breathtaking tension found even in life's quietest moments.
At the seaside wedding of two lovers kept apart by the caprices of fate, a doting uncle observes the happy couple while his errant brother the father of the bride struggles to free himself from a locked bathroom across town. A young woman arrives in Jazz Age New York with stars in her eyes and only a few coins in her pocket, but when she strikes up an unlikely relationship with her boss at Woolworth's, she is confronted with the unsettling reality of her situation.
A bright businessman is content with the spoils of a prosperous young career, until his car breaks down in a country town, upsetting his entire view. These are among the lives that Joanna Scott luminously and indelibly conjures in Everybody Loves Somebody.
About the Author
Joanna Scott is the author of seven books of fiction, including the novels Tourmaline and Arrogance, and the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning story collection Various Antidotes. She is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a Lannan Award, and lives with her family in Rochester, New York.