Synopses & Reviews
In selecting The Lists of the Past as her nomination for reissue by Pharos Editions, Cheryl Strayed was moved by the intelligent, emotional depth and breadth” of the stories, all but two of which originally appeared in the New Yorker. Hayden's New York hums with eccentric observation, humor and grit. Her leisurely Connecticut countryside is fresh with tilled soil, distant lapping waves and the summer breeze. Whether describing a child astonished with new perceptions, a distraught woman walking on Fifth Avenue with her concealed liquor flask, or a pair of lovers on a country picnic, her writing is ardent and precise, placing us at the center of her characters lives and destinies. Her masterful voice and distinctive clarity show us the often concealed ways our pain and joy turn into knowledge.
Review
“Hayden has a sharp eye, unexpectedly at the service of a tender heart; in her stories are innumerable sentences that will make smile, many sentences that will make you laugh aloud, and at least one sentence that even the most cynical readers will be unable to finish without tears.” Brendan Gill
Synopsis
An iconic and iron-clad story collection of heart-breakingly vulnerable characters caught against the backdrop of a nostalgic New York.
About the Author
JULIE HAYDEN is the author of
The Lists of the Past. Ten of these stories were originally published in the pages of the
New Yorker, where Hayden worked for 16 years before her death at age 42.
CHERYL STRAYED is the author of #1 New York Times bestseller Wild, the New York Times bestseller Tiny Beautiful Things, and the novel Torch. Wild was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as her first selection for Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and optioned for film by Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard. Wild was selected as the winner of the Barnes and Noble Discover Award, the Indie Choice Award, an Oregon Book Award, a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, and a Midwest Booksellers Choice Award. Her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages around the world. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their two children.