Other Fish In the Sea

by Lisa Kusel

In the style of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing , interconnected stories about a restless and charming young woman looking for meaning and love. Elly Fisher is searching for her place in the world and for the love of her life. Leading us through these 10 interconnected stories, Elly links one intimate tale to the next as she drifts through Europe, sleeps with a married man, tangles with a roommate from hell, creates a stir on a cattle ranch in Colorado, answers singles ads from a Seattle newspaper, and more. Clever and original, Kusel offers readers a kaleidoscopic perspective of a young woman's life, told from many points of view and in the voices of several related characters. Each of the stories build upon one another to create an effect like that of a novel. What shines through is Elly's delightfully unique journey of self-discovery. Other Fish in the Sea is an intricate, involving, disarmingly funny, and powerfully personal work, in the tradition of Alice Munro and Lorrie Moore.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

306 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2003

About the author

I’m both an avid reader as well an an author, which is why I like hanging out on Goodreads. The reader in me really enjoys combing through other people’s book reviews. I so appreciate when folks I follow or are friends with recommend new authors, or cheer me on when I begin a book they themselves loved.

The author in me is just as grateful for the community here. Whether you loved, liked, or flat-out hated one of my books—I’m just thrilled to see my stories being read; connections being made.

The books that I've written include the novel HAT TRICK; OTHER FISH IN THE SEA, (a collection of linked stories); RASH, my wildly funny memoir about running away to (and from!) Bali; and THE WIDOW ON DWYER COURT, a sexy psychological thriller that came out in July 2024.

My newest book is titled LONG WAY DOWN. It's a thriller about a young woman named Deni Rydell who believes that marrying into an uber wealthy local family will make all her dreams come true. As you might have guessed...oh, man, is she ever wrong. It comes out October 21, 2025. I can't wait for you to read it.

When I’m not volunteering at my local food shelf, meditating or cooking, I can be found wrangling words (as well as my crazy cat, Dave) at my desk overlooking Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont.

Welcome to my world. Oh, and please follow me on Instagram @lisa_kusel

Reviews

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s amazing how a book from 2003 can feel so dated. Other Fish in the Sea is a book of short stories that all revolve around our main character, Elly Fisher. Some of the stories are interesting, I especially like the title story about the dream sequence, but the fatal flaw is that Elly is a very unlikeable person. I feel sorry for her though, because her self worth seems to only come from her appearance. She and every other character CONSTANTLY talk about her slender beauty and this seems to be the only reason people are attracted to her, because she’s not a good daughter, she has no friends, and she’s judgemental (including SEVERAL racist and misogynistic comments which are never checked). She has a menial entry-level job and somehow affords to drop out of grad school and afford a two bedroom bungalow in West Seattle. What?!? She’s a failure at everything in her life but somehow everything works out (it’s so improbable that we actually never find out how). That must be her privilege showing. Of course her privilege doesn’t entitle her to a decent book.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I liked this book. Its a collection of 10 stories that all have the same character, a woman named Elly. Usually I don't really like short stories or a book comprised of a collection of stories. Its just by the time I get to know & enjoy the characters, background, and the plot, the story ends. They're just too short! Hence the definition of a short story.

I liked how some stories centered around Elly and in some stories Elly was a secondary character. My two favorite stories were "Praire Dogs and "Other Fish in the Sea." I liked the character "Praire Dogs" focused on, a young artist named Lydia. I think it would be neat if the author decided to write another book similar to this one but use the character of Lydia as the common thread connecting all the short stories.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like short stories, this is a great read...the main character is somehow in each story!

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic chick lit...good for a light read, with a cute finish.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

A girl who lives in Seattle learns who she really is in love. Typical lovey & happy story -- but the Seattle scenery pulls at my heart even more than the story does.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great series of short stories that are all tied together. Very entertaining and easy to read.

[Denise · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read - Chick-lit. Elly is the main character that is in a series of short stories about love and finding herself. liked the dream sequence and helped me stick with the book.

[Janet Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the early stories...the later ones less so. In the end, this one was just okay for me.

[Neena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debut collection of short stories, some good, some so-so.