Fool for Love: The Selected Short Stories

by Deborah Moggach

Short stories from the acclaimed British novelist who “writes unflinchingly about family life, divorce, children, and the ups and downs of relationships” ( The Independent ).Witty, insightful, and keenly observant, the stories in Fool for Love revel in the complexities of modern relationships. From the joys and trials of marriage to the thrill of escaping into an illicit affair to mothers managing recalcitrant teens—or worse, adult children who unexpectedly return to the nest at mid-life—each revelatory tale is told in the wise and darkly humorous voice that is Deborah Moggach’s trademark. Containing stories previously unpublished in book form, this collection confirms Moggach’s place as one of our finest observers of human life.“Quirky, sassy, well-crafted . . . Moggach at her best.” — Times Literary Supplement“What informs Moggach’s excellent stories is not just the exactness of her observation, but the quality of warmth and affection.” — Sunday Times

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2023

About the author

Deborah Moggach is a British writer, born Deborah Hough on 28 June 1948. She has written fifteen novels to date, including The Ex-Wives, Tulip Fever, and, most recently, These Foolish Things. She has adapted many of her novels as TV dramas and has also written several film scripts, including the BAFTA-nominated screenplay for Pride & Prejudice. She has also written two collections of short stories and a stage play. In February 2005, Moggach was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by her Alma Mater, the University of Bristol . She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a former Chair of the Society of Authors, and is on the executive committee of PEN.

Reviews

[The Bookie Monster]

Some stories better than others

[Sharron]

I started these short stories thinking they’d be ideal for my declining attention span, but actually found myself speculating at length after many of the stories about the world beyond the short pages.
Moggach makes every word count and is a terrifically skilled observer of humans, their interactions, intentions and emotions. I liked the true to life aspects of each story: marriage, relationships, children and families- all believable and well crafted.

[Mrs Hilary McNevin]

Some winners, some dated but all made me smile or laugh.

[Lisa Culligan]

Nice stories. Some written 30 or 40 years ago show their age but are all the more interesting for it.

[Mike]

Good short stories, sharp and funny, mainly about relationships, families, husbands and wives. I really liked the second story, 'Blind Date'.

There is also a good introduction by the author giving a brief mention as to how the stories came about.