Back Talk

"From an award-winning debut writer, a beautiful and unapologetic collection of stories about women's unexpressed desires and needs, and the unexpected ways they resurface "Deceptively quiet but packs a powerful punch. The best collection I've read in years, from a phenomenal new talent."--Celeste Ng "Thank God, a collection of stories about women who don't hate themselves, don't hate other women, don't hate their bodies, don't hate their husbands, or even their ex-husbands. women who are simply, like me, trying to figure out what it means to be alive, to be in love, to be daughters, parents, siblings, wives, citizens, human beings." --Eileen Pollack In "Floor Plans," a woman at the end of her marriage tests her power when she inadvertently befriends the neighbor trying to buy her apartment. In "Appetite," a sixteen-year old grieving her mother's death experiences first love and questions how much more heartbreak she and her family can endure. In "Dinosaurs," a recent widower and a young babysitter help each other navigate how much they have to give--and how much they can take--from the people around them. Through stories that are at once empathetic and unexpected, these women and girls defiantly push the boundaries between selfishness and self-possession. Fantastically written with a fresh voice and bold honesty, Back Talk examines the cultural narrowness of what it means to want as a woman"--