Neighbors and Other Stories

A mixed bag of short stories: hit or miss, but the hits were exceptional and even the medium ones were breathtaking. I find myself still thinking about them days later. Every story was wildly unique, the unifying element her voice. Distinct and powerful, with a sublime gift for understatement. The situations Oliver writes about are horrifying beyond anything you or I have ever dealt with; the calm with which her characters handle them compels the reader to really think about them. What lifetime of abuse makes someone take suffering in stride? How do they find strength and courage?