Staff Pick
If you loved All the Light We Cannot See and you enjoy short stories, you have to read this! Doerr steeps his characters in specialness. I cannot stop thinking about them. Recommended By Britt A., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The exquisitely crafted stories in Anthony Doerr's acclaimed debut collection take readers from the African coast to the pine forests of Montana to the damp moors of Lapland, charting a vast physical and emotional landscape. Doerr explores the human condition in all its varieties-metamorphosis, grief, fractured relationships, and slowly mending hearts-and conjures nature in both its beautiful abundance and crushing power. Some of his characters contend with tremendous hardship; some discover unique gifts; all are united by their ultimate deference to the mysteries of the universe outside themselves.
Review
"The natural world exerts a powerful, brooding presence in this first collection; it's almost as much a main character as any of the individuals the 26-year-old Doerr records....The title story could well appear in the next Best American or O. Henry anthologies, and the others make a fine supporting cast." Publishers Weekly
Review
"This striking debut collection of eight stories offers several boldly imagined and scrupulously detailed explorations of the mysteries inherent in both the natural world and human interconnection." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[Doerr] shapes intricate worlds with syllables, rhythms, and carefully chosen words; these stories are a tour de force of letters....The characters' exertions, internal and external, mesmerize despite the occasional stilted Hemingwayesque hiccup. A fascinating collection..." Library Journal
About the Author
Anthony Doerr has lived in Africa and New Zealand. His stories have appeared in numerous publications, including the Atlantic Monthly, the Paris Review, and Zoetrope: All Story. He is twenty-nine years old and is currently at work on a novel.
Table of Contents
The shell collector -- The hunter's wife -- So many chances -- For a long time : this was Griselda's story -- July fourth -- The caretaker -- A tangle by the rapid river -- Mkondo.