Avalanche

by Jessica Westhead

Featured on 49th Shelf's Most 2023 Fall Fiction Preview "Things used to be easier, but even in those carefree days, the rules were in place for a reason. And that reason so we can all agree. So we can all have the same standard applied across the board. So there is no special treatment, which no one should receive. This is why we need the rules." The stories in Avalanche combine humor with an earnest examination and indictment of white entitlement, guilt, shame, and disorientation in the wake of waking up to the reality of racism. Focusing on the perspective of white, cis, straight, and mostly middle-aged and middle-class characters, this collection shines a light on the obliviousness of white privilege, the violence of polite, quiet racism hiding just under the surface of mundane, everyday situations, and the anguished flailing of "well-intentioned white ladies" desperate to confirm their essential goodness at all costs. Westhead writes with compassion and empathy for both her frustrating and frustrated white protagonists and the racialized characters who encounter them, and uses humour not to comfortably distance white readers from the harmful behaviour of her self-absorbed protagonists, but to pull them in close to recognize—and reckon with—those familiar parts of themselves, and to become more aware of the insidious systems of white supremacy at work behind the scenes.

Genres: Short Stories, Canada, Fiction

145 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

About the author

JESSICA WESTHEAD is a Toronto writer and editor, and one of the short-story-loving masterminds behind YOSS (Year of the Short Story). Her fiction has appeared in major literary journals in Canada and the United States, including Geist, The New Quarterly, and Indiana Review. Her novel Pulpy & Midge was published in 2007 by Coach House Books. Her short story collection And Also Sharks, published by Cormorant Books in 2011, was on the Globe and Mail’s Globe 100 list of the best books of 2011 and was a finalist for the 2012 Danuta Gleed Literary Award. She was shortlisted for the 2009 CBC Literary Awards, and one of her stories was selected for the 2011 Journey Prize anthology.

Reviews

[Jillian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories serves as an incisive social critique of whiteness, and especially of a certain type of upper middle class, middle aged white Toronto resident. The author’s sharply written satirical pieces made me grin, while other stories, like one about a mother struggling with whether to take her daughter to the Women’s March, were quietly heartbreaking. I did think the first story in this collection was the weakest one, and I might not have led with it, but overall this was my favourite short story collection I’ve read all year. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more work from this author!

[Lucy Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

The short story collection, Avalanche by Jessica Westhead contains a clarion call for social justice. In each of the thirteen pristine pieces, Westhead highlights the ways in which well-intentioned individuals unknowingly perpetuate cultural insensitivity, racism and privilege. Yet this is not a didactic enterprise: the narratives unfold subtly and with well developed characters and surprising story arcs. A timely and serious work that shines a light on prevailing attitudes and unconscious bias in ways that both entertain and encourage self-reflection. Highly recommended.

[Ann Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve been lucky enough to find yourself in the orbit of Jessica Westhead at some point over the years, you no doubt have a pretty good sense of what to expect from her latest collection of short stories. They’re funny, they’re smart, and they’re unapologetically political, just like Jessica.

More here. (I just finished reviewing the book for The Honest Talk.)

[Enid Wray]

I quite like the idea of this collection… but I find myself less than enamoured with the execution.

These stories are trying way too hard. There is nothing subtle here at all. I felt like I was being preached at while I was reading these stories.

I get that there is certainly a segment of the broader population that likely needs to be preached at this way… but this is over the top.

And let’s face it, that segment of the population is not going to be picking up a title like this one. These stories are, sadly, likely only to end up “preaching to the converted” (fully recognising the irony of using that term in this context!!).

Which then begs the question: How then do we get the message across? I don’t have a good answer for that… but perhaps this collection can serve a purpose after all… if one reader knows someone who needs to be preached at like this passes it on to someone they know who could use having these ‘lessons’ pointed out to them… and another reader does the same… Maybe……….

So… as I said off the top… while I like the idea of the collection… I am less than enamoured with the execution.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital review copy.

[Anne Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book and cringed, because you recognize bits of yourself in a character, but that character is clearly doing the wrong thing? I had this unfortunate experience when reading Avalanche by Jessica Westhead; a short story collection all about white ladies who are trying to be politically correct, but end up saying and doing cringe-worthy things in the process. Now I know what you are thinking – why would I want to read a book that embarrasses me? And my answer is – why not? The older I get, the less seriously I take myself, and this book showed me how important it is to a) keep learning and b) laugh at myself more.

Book Summary

In just under 150 pages, Avalanche contains 16 short stories, most of them being around the same length. Each story is written in the first person, so we hear and understand what the protagonist is thinking versus what they are saying. Each story is also written in the voice of a white person (and notably, the author is white herself). Most are written from the perspective of a woman who is, in her own mind, being helpful or kind. “How We Challenge Ourselves” is perhaps the one exception to this. It’s written from the perspective of a white man who is defending the accusation that his sport, the triathlon, isn’t diverse enough after a friend of his sent him an article that analyzes who does and doesn’t participate in triathlons. This particular narrator verges on a violent anger when something he considers so wonderful could be criticized. Small examples of defensiveness come up in other stories too; in “The Meeting” a mother claims that she doesn’t care about people’s differences, and no one deserves a leg up. But the majority of the characters aren’t defensive or aggressive, they’re mostly just clueless. In the hilariously titled “Gary How Does a Contact Form Work Do I Just Type in Here and Then Press Send and That’s It?” a woman is sending a blogger a note about her Caribbean Style Chickpea Curry recipe, thanking her for including a picture of herself to ensure readers knew the recipe would be ‘authentic’. After a couple mentions of how beautiful her hair is and how exotic she is, she ends the note with a couple of smiley faces. Most of these women aren’t outwardly harming anyone, but their ignorance and lack of self-awareness does grate after awhile, which is clearly the point Westhead is trying to make.

My Thoughts

There is no denying that some of the characters in this book are simply obnoxious. There is a range of behaviour exhibited in these stories; from harmless but annoying, to defensive and purposefully hurtful. It was the women who were trying to distinguish themselves from who they deemed to be ‘offensive’ where I recognized myself most, and I think that’s where many people many sheepishly recognize their behaviour or inner dialogue as needing room for improvement. Most of the female narrators approached the issue of race among their other focuses in life; family obligations, parenting, jobs, the challenges of marriage, so it’s understandable why saying or doing the right thing isn’t always top of mind in their busy lives. In the title story, a mother is preparing protest signs for her and her daughter to carry in the Women’s March, eager to demonstrate to her child how progressive she is. But in the meantime, it’s clear she is stuck in a misogynistic marriage, tiptoeing around her husband, afraid to voice her opinions around him, and basically stuck in a modern-day servitude.

Why would an author write a book that focuses on pointing out the hypocrisies of others? It may seem like she wrote this to shame others, however I don’t believe that’s the case. Instead, I think she’s hopeful that people may recognize the range of ways in which we can discriminate or ‘virtue signal’, and try to change their actions and conversations accordingly. Many of my peers (myself included) have good intentions, yet this isn’t always good enough. Simply remaining open to learning and doing better is all we can ask of ourselves and each other, and I believe this is the true intention of the author and her short stories. Humour also helps this self-reflection go down a bit easier, as many of the stories and situations are entertaining, especially when the reader is so clearly ‘in on the joke’

Now here is where opinions of those who follow my blog will likely diverge – the idea that we do need to change how we talk is a fairly new and progressive one, and I know for a fact that many people think we simply don’t need to change, or that we’ve done enough. But I’ve been raised in an environment that prizes education and the need for constant improvement, so as western society shifts into a more inclusive one, I’m eager to change along with it. There is no clear ‘ you should do this, and not that’ kind of message in this book, but Westhead’s examination of these behaviors should be enough to get us all thinking of the positive changes we can make to our dialogue – both our inside and outside voices.

To read the rest of my reviews, please visit my blog:
https://ivereadthis.com/

Sign up for my newsletter here: https://ivereadthis.com/subscribe/

Or follow me on social media!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ivereadthis/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD6E...

[Alison Gadsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not one to describe a book as essential reading. I give 5 stars to every book I review, not because I think every book I’ve read is essential, but because I find, in almost every book I read, a moment, a scene, a character, or conversation, that resonates, that teaches me something about others, or about myself. And those moments are so important. That to me is what reading is all about (and sometimes I read for pure escapism into thrilling worlds of romance and serial killers).

Avalanche is a book that, I would have suggested to the Alison who hadn’t yet read it, is essential reading. From stories with overt racism to men with uncomfortable souvenir collections to a woman who comments on a black woman’s hair to a mother whose daughter’s swim coach is brown to a mother jealous of the loving black couple at her daughter’s school to a woman trying to send a thank you note (with advice) to a Jamaican chef whose curry recipe she followed. The stories in this collection are honest depictions of white people living in their special bubbles of whiteness, some who think they’re not prejudiced, or bigoted or racist or privileged, which I think is why I think THIS book is essential. Unfortunately, we all likely know someone personally who is just like a character in this book, and it might even be you. Read it, and then buy a copy for a friend.

Jessica Westhead must be praised for exposing these authentic and uncomfortable moments, scenes, characters, and conversations, because it is only with open and honest conversations that we will be able to change the (sometimes subtle and imperceptible) ways white people think and live today.

[Anuja Varghese · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories in Jessica Westhead’s AVALANCHE are full of tongue in cheek humor that draws the deeply ingrained biases and (often casual or unintentional) racism of white people into sharp focus. The collection deftly avoids the trap of preachiness, showcasing characters who are confused, complicated, frustrated, and for the most part, TRYING to be good and do good… even when their best attempts go entirely off the rails. The combination of slice of life storytelling, a keen observational eye, and Westhead’s terrific ear for unfiltered inner monologue makes this an incredibly entertaining, timely, and necessary read.

[Sonal Champsee · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no writer other than Jessica Westhead, with her humour and deep empathy towards the awkward and slightly clueless, who can write such an artful and warm collection of short stories showing white people in the very beginnings of their understanding of racism, privilege and white supremacy. The stories are funny but not mean, full of understanding but without letting her characters off the hook for their faults. An important collection, but most of all, thoroughly enjoyable read.

[Roz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I’m biased because I’ve had Westhead for a teacher, but I liked this book a bunch. Her stories are mostly about white, middle class cis people who are dealing with suddenly having to consider race. Sometimes they’re rude about it, sometimes they mean well but make fools of themselves. Maybe you’ll see yourself reflected in here somewhere. Maybe you’ll learn from Westhead too - she’s a pretty good teacher, after all.

[Su Chang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this collection and found the stories funny, satirical, and heartfelt all at the same time. I could feel the myriad emotions of those well-meaning but somewhat clueless characters – confusion, fear, pain, as well as the author's compassion towards them in this fraught time we live in.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hilarious and I loved it. I can only imagine the title refers to "an unrelenting shitstorm of whiteness" because that reads perfectly. The 2020, early Covid, well-meaning but obtuse white people trying to wrap their heads around BLM while constantly making everything about them vibes are immaculate.

[Ruth Seeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this one....

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories about clueless, entitled white people would be hilarious if the impacts of their cluelessness weren't so harmful. Excellent and much needed.

[Ikechukwu Okafor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Attended gritLIT panel for Jessica, which was lovely. Great read too.