Synopses & Reviews
Each finely tuned story in this remarkable debut collection captures a pivotal moment in the life of a woman trying to reconcile past expectations with present, usually unplanned, developments. In the title story, a woman who decided she really should be French visits her married daughter, who once again becomes tangled in a web of lies and disapprovals. In "Picnic," a new spin on family politics emerges during an outing with mysterious Aunt Vivian. In "The Virtuoso," a young violin prodigy's talent disrupts the harmony of her teacher and his wife. Bringing to mind the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Alice Munro, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's stories form a sophisticated and graceful collection.
Review
"Kirsten Lunstrum's stories are gem stones, multi-faceted, highly polished, more and more complicated the closer you look." Pam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness
Synopsis
Each finely tuned story in this remarkable debut collection captures a pivotal moment in the life of a woman trying to reconcile past expectations with present, usually unplanned, developments.
Synopsis
Kirsten Lunstrum's stories are gem stones, multi-faceted, highly polished, more and more complicated the closer you look, says Pam Houston. Each finely tuned story in this remarkable debut collection captures a pivotal moment in the life of a woman trying to reconcile past expectations with present, usually unplanned, developments. In the title story, a woman who decided she really should be French visits her married daughter, who once again becomes tangled in a web of lies and disapprovals. In Picnic, a new spin on family politics emerges during an outing with mysterious Aunt Vivian. In The Virtuoso, a young violin prodigy's talent disrupts the harmony of her teacher and his wife. Bringing to mind the work of Elizabeth Bishop and Alice Munro, Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum's stories form a sophisticated and graceful collection.
Synopsis
"An impressive debut" by "a promising young writer" (The New York Times Book Review), this intimate collection of stories illuminates the pivotal moments in family life, particularly between mothers and daughters. The "still and hauntingly ambiguous" (Boston Globe) stories are "written with an admirable restraint that throws into sharper relief the emotional turmoil of the characters" (Tacoma News Tribune). This Life She's Chosen is a powerful and finely tuned fiction that continues to resonate.
About the Author
Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum was born in 1979 near Seattle and now lives in eastern Washington. This is her first book.