The Way the World Is: The Maggie Boylan Stories

by Michael Henson

Set in Appalachian Ohio amid an epidemic of prescription opiate abuse, Michael Henson’s stunning collection of linked stories tells of a woman’s search for her own peculiar kind of redemption. Addict, thief, liar, lover, loser, hustler, Maggie Boylan is queen of invective and sultana of insult. But she is also a woman of deep compassion and resilience. Her journey is by turns frightening, funny, and deeply moving.

174 pages, Paperback

Published January 27, 2015

About the author

Michael Henson is an American poet and novelist. He is a founding member of the Urban Appalachian Council.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rough, misguided, poor decision making characters with some beautiful moments. The book felt originally like a collection of short stories all centered around the character of Maggie. By the end it felt more novel like. First by this author, not sure how I found this book, but highly recommend. Had some similarities to Daniel woodrell and Philipp Meyer’s American Rust.

[Travis Rountree · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book about substance abuse in Appalachia. Beautifully tragic and truthful.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first time I met the character of Maggie Boylan, I was hooked. She is a complex character, to be sure, and the reality in which she lives is both unfathomable and all-too-familiar in our society. Michael Henson does a wonderful job of depicting people and their stories in a way that shows the rough and the raw without diminishing or glorifying anything in the process. And when stories revolve around addiction and corruption and personal struggle, this is no easy task. Henson writes the way people talk, and offers images that are more polaroid than painting. In this context, that was just the effect I wanted. Brilliant, important work. I highly recommend this book!