By the acclaimed author of THE MISSING and THE CLEARING, 23 scintillating tales of small kindnesses, big decisions and secret lives.
A petty thief is bested by a widow and her card-playing friends; a farmer must cope with raising his baby granddaughter; a train engineer inadvertently causes a major disaster and finds himself amidst a media frenzy; a young man falls in love with a voice on the radio; and a camera repairman discovers a woman s family history in a roll of undeveloped film. Ordinary people are confronted with extraordinary situations, with results that are sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, but always life changing.
In stories filled with heart and humour, Tim Gautreaux explores the stresses and strains of everyday life as his characters struggle to make amends for their mistakes and hope for different, better days to come.
Tim Gautreaux portrays a man s world of action in lean, clean verbs worthy of Hemingway in a setting as richly descriptive as Conrad. - Canberra Times
'An author who deserves to be far better known' - Canberra Times
'Tim Gautreaux is an effortless storyteller in the mould of an Annie Proulx and, like her, he applies the simplest of phrases to create the most profound effects. - Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin
This outstanding collection marks Tim Gautreaux as one of the best short story writers anywhere...it is magnificently enjoyable reading - Annie Proulx, Guardian
Tim Gautreaux deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. Scintillating...unforgettable - Mail on Sunday
This man is a wonderful writer . . . I can honestly say I love to read his stories. He never exaggerates, never manipulates the reader's affections, but nonetheless he always captures the heart. - James Lee Burke
Startling and redemptive . . . These stories suggest . . . that to be alive means being open to grief and accident, chance and wonder - Chicago Tribune
Finely balanced, sweet, and gritty - San Francisco Chronicle
Born and raised in Louisiana, Tim Gautreaux lives there with his wife an is writer in residence at Southeastern Louisiana University. His work has appeared in Harper's, the Atlantic Monthly, GQ, Zoetrope, Prize Stories: The O: Henry Awards, and Best American Short Stories. Acclaimed as 'one of the best writers to have emerged in the 1990s (Kirkus reviews), his novels are The Next Step in the Dance, which won the 1999 SEBA Book Award, the hugely acclaimed The Clearing, and The Missing. He has also written two collections of short stories, published in one volume.