Synopses & Reviews
Bradford Morrow's stories have garnered him awards such as the O. Henry and Pushcart Prizes and have given him a devoted following. Now gathered here for the first time is a collection of his finest, gothic tales.
A young man whose childhood hobby of collecting sea shells and birds' nests takes a sinister turn when he becomes obsessed with acquiring his brother's girlfriend, in "The Hoarder" (selected as one of the Best American Noir Stories of the Century). An archeologist summoned to attend his beloved sister's funeral is astonished to discover it is not she who has died, but someone much closer to him, in "Gardener of Heart." A blind motivational speaker has a crisis of faith when he suddenly regains his sight, only to discover life was better lived in the dark, in "Amazing Grace."
In all of these stories, readers will find themselves enthralled and captivated by one of the most potent voices in contemporary American fiction.
Review
"The Uninnocent is a masterpiece of empathy and of storytelling. I love this chapel of unholy stories with their charming, monstrous, wholly sympathetic characters." Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!
Review
"An ambitious, thoughtful writer, technically accomplished and emotionally truthful. There has never been a short story by Bradford Morrow that I haven't read at a single sitting — fascinated, thrilled, at times a bit breathless. There is a subterranean air about his fiction that pulls the reader down, as if into a vertiginous whirlpool. if you read just a single story by Bradford Morrow, you will be drawn into his gravitational pull inexorably." Joyce Carol Oates
Review
"Morrow gives voice to the peace at the center of the chaos all around and within us. His collection, The Uninnocent, is not only very beautiful but very important." Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Review
"I love these stories and could hardly stop reading. Like the gems they are, they're bright, multifaceted, and catch the sun — which often shines on a very dark world." Ann Beattie
Review
"In The Uninnocent, acclaimed novelist Bradford Morrow shows off his dazzling short-story chops. The results are spellbinding, unsettling: as knowing, wakeful, and thorny as the title. Every writer should be as courageous, as open to the unknown, as Morrow reveals himself to be." Peter Straub
About the Author
Bradford Morrow's novels include The Diviner's Tale, Giovanni's Gift, and Trinity Fields, and co-edited with David Shields The Inevitable: Contemporary Writers Confront Death. The recipient of numerous awards, he founded and edits the literary journal Conjunctions and is a professor of literature at Bard College. He lives in New York City.