Under the Radar

by Rosalia Scalia

Rosalia Scalia’s UNDER THE RADAR, her second short story collection, offers a poignant look at characters grappling with grief and loss in various forms. Each story reveals the raw emotions—anger, numbness, confusion—that accompany their journeys, as they navigate a world seemingly oblivious to their pain. In the title story, set in the 1970s, we follow Hope and Kenny, a young couple whose plans to marry are shattered when Kenny reveals he’s gay. “All the Small Joys” explores the clash between two sisters debating whether their mother should be buried with a mink stole or one sister’s dog’s ashes. In “Static Electricity,” adult twins must confront the devastating loss of their mother, an art teacher killed in a school shooting. “Butterfly Moments” focuses on Pearl, who grieves the death of her Marine son, killed by friendly fire, while harboring resentment toward his fiancée, who knew parts of his life Pearl never did. Throughout the collection, Scalia masterfully portrays the characters' struggle to find resilience in the face of overwhelming loss.

282 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2025

About the author

Rosalia Scalia is the author of the story collection, Stumbling Toward Grace, (Unsolicited Press). Her fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in The Oklahoma Review, North Atlantic Review, Notre Dame Review, The Portland Review, and Quercus Review, among many others. She holds an MA in writing from Johns Hopkins University and is a Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist’s Award recipient. She won the Editor’s Select award from Willow Review and her short story in Pebble Lake was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in Baltimore City with her family.

Reviews

[Electra Nanou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under the Radar is a masterclass in well-written short stories that move and trigger the reader into a rollercoaster of emotions. Each narrative is about some form of loss, obscurity, or ignorance within very timely situations, some simple, others complex, but all poignant and memorable.

The narration is effective throughout, tailored to each story's plot, vibe, and characters. No word is out of place. Everything is there for a reason, from plot details to dialogues rich with personality. While some narratives are more interesting than others, I happily dove into every one and came out with something to think about.

Under the Radar's main focus is people, and the personalities and social situations illustrated are carefully thought out and delivered. The themes chosen for this collection are compelling enough, such as discrimination, repression, selfishness, and acting out because of fear or grief, but mixing them with a character development that's sharp and smart has created a powerful reading experience.

Overall, expect a multifaceted exploration of psychology and society through short stories honed to inspire sadness, rage, annoyance, pity, dark humour, and many other emotions. They're all set in the US, so the topics are rooted in American culture, but this fact won't stop them from resonating with any reader who has a conscience and personal experience with difficult situations. Tragedy, trauma, and human nature are universal concepts.

Short stories are hard to get right but perfect for zooming into very particular and emotive themes. It's trickier still to write several of them that convey a range of engaging messages that can be linked together. Under the Radar does a fantastic job in compiling 21 life stories inspired by very real and often troubling situations seen in the modern world. There's a strange satisfaction to the hurt, confusion, and fury this book instills in the reader.

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and the author for a copy of this book. Read the original review here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/und...

[Stephen Michael Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her new collection, Under the Radar, gifted story-teller Scalia shows her mastery of literary short-form fiction. Brilliantly told with a pen filled with the ink of real and mysterious human conditions, these stories touch the heartstrings of ordinary people and families working out dilemmas, prickly predicaments, and in need of joyful celebrations as we all have known, have lived or have heard about. THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. Don’t be fooled that the cover may seem a bit techie. The radar, I think, is the allegorical reference to revealing the underlying nuances of relationships that come to the surface in the fictional lives of these individuals, couples, and families of all kinds in our world. Scalia is patient and persistent in unfolding the layers of each one of these tales in a pace and structure, which make the stories difficult to stop reading. Congratulations to this author who is obviously a champion of helping folks deal with life’s ups and downs. I recommend reading one story a day for 26 days as I did. Let each one sink in. -SMB

[Liz Kellebrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book of short stories, Scalia paints a delightful cast of characters. Some unreliable, some downright mean, but most simply trying - like us - to cope and endure through the hardest times of their lives. Witty, tender, and full of unfulfilled longing, Scalia's stories will stay with you long after the book is done.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some stories more than others. I appreciate the perspectives. She is definitely a good writer.