The Office of Historical Corrections

Probably more of a 3.5 but I am rounding up.

This is a very well written collection of stories which felt very engrossing and full of depth, but ultimately left me feeling dissatisfied because many of them didn't give me the kind of closure I expected. I understand they are short stories but most of them felt like beginnings, and I would enjoy more if they were all longer. However, it's still an interesting anthology and I would also recommend the audiobook for its wonderful cast of narrators.

Rena thought the point of the game was to identify the proverb that was the worst of all possible proverbs, and make a case for its failure. She'd run through a number of contenders before deciding on In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. The land of the blind would be built for the blind; there would be no expectation among its citizens that the world should be other than what it was. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man would adjust, or otherwise be deemed a lunatic or a heretic. The one-eyed man would spend his life learning to translate what experience was his alone, or else he would learn to shut up about it.

Ghosts are real.

When we think of them we tend to imagine them as ethereal, floaty wispy and irrelevant but no, oh no: they're ponderous, massive, and we all carry them with us, too often without even knowing they're there.

Evans sees them... but she's too much of an artist to show them to us. Instead, like astronomers inferring planets from their gravitational tug, she paints the wobble, the tug that these ghosts impose on their People. Sometimes the ghost is a seemingly minor decision we make on impulse, whose consequences we're left carrying; sometimes it's a remnant of our upbringing, an inheritance of our parents' ghosts; and there's also the crushing weight of centuries of racist oppression. Evans focuses on her subjects with exquisite precision: every sentence, every word matters. This is a book you savor, where you feel rewarded for taking your time. She has an uncanny eye for detail and expression: I felt entirely transported into each narrative; a part of it. I felt the shame of judging others without being able to see their inner turmoils, less so their ghosts. Felt the conflicting influences of multiple planets, those with privilege and those lacking, orbiting and affecting each other without ever meeting. I felt the ghosts without ever seeing them, drawn in negative - dare I say white - space.

Wish I could give this six stars.

I have not read many short story collections but even then I knew that the book I held was written by a master of her craft. The characters that inhabit these stories feel like they enter your head fully formed even if you have only read a page of their story and that in itself is praise-worthy. I am still trying to find the right words for how masterfully she has explored the themes of this book. Suffice it to say that I will most definitely be reading more of Evans. I can't get enough of her voice and you should definitely read this.

3.5 / 5

This collection of short stories (and one novella) has its ups and downs. While the stories are well written in a clear and stylistic manner, most fell flat for me towards the end. With that being said, each story succeeds in offering a unique perspective on human relationships and journeys. Even with the stories that I didn't enjoy as much, there were still relatable elements within them. So in that regard, the collection is enjoyable, despite it dragging on through my reading in some stories.

Favorite Stories:
- Boys Go to Jupiter
- Why Won't Women Just Say What They Want
- Anything Could Disappear
- The Office of Historical Corrections

This book of short stories contains stories about a myriad of women living very different lives. The thread connecting all of these stories is their discussions on race in America. Some of the stories were more laid back than others, but every one had an impactful message. The last story still has me shaking. Evans does an incredible job of creating all of these unique women with different experiences that all interact with race in different ways. Every story felt like it ended so abruptly, but I really felt like it worked with the content of each of these stories. I would recommend this book to anyone. This review is short because I don't want to spoil any of the stories.

TW: racism, kidnapping, bullying, gun violence, death

This is a short story collection with a novella included as well. I really enjoyed this collection.

It feels fresh and vibrant but it deals with big issues and themes around race and identity and loss. I found the writing style really snappy and clean and found myself instantly immersed within the stories. I highly recommend picking this collection up if you are looking to try more short story collections. I definitely will be checking out other work from this author.

Thanks to the author Danielle Evans, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a solid collection of short stories. Usually, short story collections have a low hit rate for me, but with the exception of one (Alcatraz) I liked all of these stories. The novella by the same title of this book was especially powerful, insightful, and interesting. I also want to highlight how much I loved Boys Go To Jupiter and Anything Could Disappear.

These are stories about the African American experience, about Black history, about white supremacy, and how about class, race, and gender affect the trajectory of one's life. It's topical and relevant. I recommend it!

This collection was absolutely amazing. Usually in a short story collection some will resonate with me and others won't, but I thought every story in the collection, especially the titular novella, was truly remarkable. The messages, characters, and scenarios were poignant and brutally honest. I loved this.

Winner of the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize, The Office of Historical Corrections is a smart yet searing collection of stories about race, grief, and the historical implications about what is right. This collection contains six stories and a novella.

“Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain” is about a photographer who is forced to examine personal losses while attending the wedding of an old friend.

The best of the collection is the titular novella “The Office of Historical Corrections,” a powerful story about an employee who works for a government agency that corrects historical inaccuracies and the delicate friendship she has with a rogue coworker who was also a childhood frenemy.

Great collection of stories.