Home

by Mark MacDonald

Two friends are inexplicably drawn to a carnival-like -orchid garden. A man works obsessively on restoring a mansion he has inherited. An urban dweller is haunted by the echo of cries in the night. A traveler is lured by highway signs directing him to a place that he has always known.

The stories in Home, the follow-up to Mark Macdonald’s acclaimed novel Flat, feature characters searching for truth and clarity in a world that is sometimes deceptive, usually miraculous, and often inescapable. Full of dark compulsions and seemingly irrational tendencies, Home is a place where all is not as it seems: authority figures defy reality, and fate takes charge as life and death become mere observances.

Informed by terminal illness and a trust in the wonders of the world, these stories are about anxiety, foreboding, and a sense of calm resignation and peace with matters beyond our control.

115 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book of stories on a whim at the university bookstore after flipping through it, and it’s not bad, but eh, I was feeling picky when I read it—it didn’t impress me. Maybe I’ll read it again (another hour or two of my life? not such a sacrifice) when I’m feeling more generous.

[Vardhan Patankar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Few essays are brilliant!