Let Me Know When You're Home

by Abby Parsons (Editor), Bridie Wilkinson (Editor)

In Let Me Know When You're Home, fifteen women writers explore what female friendship means to them through fiction, non-fiction and poetry, digging deep into the complexities and nuances of these relationships.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Feminism

139 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jill Furedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel bad giving this fewer stars than other reviewers - I backed it on Kickstarter and would do it again. But with the cute cover and the description of it being a celebration of female friendship, I was hoping there would be more uplifting stories as well. From the table of contents, it looks like a good balance of positive versus negative, but it seemed to me a far higher word count and page count was given to the 'fake friends' or the 'growing apart' stories. I think the growing apart section was the largest, and maybe it's the most relatable to people? More build up of content in the 'growing up together' section might have balanced that more for me. The 'old friends' section which I guessed would have happier stories included one about a friend dying (and not of old age)...which absolutely expressed their dedication to one another and the support one provided to the other. It was a good story - but I really hoped for some tales of friendships that were happy and affectionate without the bittersweet part. I didn't walk away from this book feeling good and thinking of my own friends, I guess. The last section maybe tried to celebrate friendship more and I did like the poems, but that was the section on 'supporting women' and consisted of two short poems and one story about the violence committed against women bringing two friends together. I guess it's hard to appreciate the good without the bad maybe. Anyway, I did like the stories and poems, and standing on their own there is plenty to appreciate in the writing. Of course friendships are complicated and don't all have happy endings. I think perhaps in the gloomy mindset of news and social media in 2020, I was looking for more of an escape to something lighthearted than what I ended up with.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Here is what I mean when I say that I love you:
Look at all these patches of time that we have stitched together. Look at the boundless quilt that we have made.' Devoured this collection of poetry, fiction and non-fiction about female friendships in one afternoon. The all-consuming friendships that burned too bright, too soon. Those that kept us glued to MSN Messenger. Those that fizzled out over time. Those that were fake all along. Those that are the platonic love stories of our lives. Those that withstand challenge, changes and distance. My favourite piece was Alexandra Burton's beautiful short story on the subject of grief, Her Name Was Forte. I'll definitely be dipping into this collection again to enjoy the staggering writing but also because so much of it resonates.

[Maura (thenovelmaura) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy to have backed the Kickstarter campaign for this celebration of female friendships! It was such a delightful mixture of nonfiction, poetry, and prose. I can see myself going back to these reflections again as I move through different phases in my relationships. The one issue I had was that the way the sections were labeled could sometimes spoil the ending to a story (if it's in the "Fake Friends" section, you'll be on the lookout for the fake friend the whole time). But I can also see how this will be useful if you want to quickly find a story with a given theme. I'm not sure when this will be available for purchase, so if you do find it somewhere I recommend you snatch it up!

[karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

my favourite pieces were 'here is what i meant when i said that' (francesca raine), 'her name was forte' (alexandra burton) and 'finding out' (sallyanne rock), but overall a nice yet not always very joyful read. underlined a few quotes from other pieces too.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite quotes:

My mother tired of hearing your opinions in my voice. p.44

...and in times like these, when your sad thoughts empty out like lonely pennies, I squeeze your hand... p.49

The years that passed on this bench were scented with vinegar and sea air and the DKNY she got every birthday. p.66

I blew smoke into the wind all the way to Liverpool, watching cancerous ghosts billow and float and disappear. p.85

Traverse the globe after just two months of passionate fucking and it's a whirlwind romance, but pack your bags for a fourteen-year friendship and you can hear the pity in their speculation. p.86

It is that time of night: dusky twilight sky to match our eyeshadow and the feeling of our blood turning into wine, and in my Patsy Stone voice I am saying things like, 'it cannot be that difficult to find some simple sashimi in this godforsaken city,'even though in London the only thing I ever ate was Morley's. p.101

She wonders why I hate him, and I wonder
why she gave me the stories of the things he has done
if she wanted me to like him. p.120

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable and nostalgic collections of short stories and poetry exploring female friendships. From the childhood best friends who we will always remember, to the friendships that are not serving as any longer, they are all here. As well as work focusing on the dramatic moments we shared with short term friends we barely remember anymore to the way our friendships have evolved to stretch between miles and years helped by social media.
A wonderful reminder of the way our friendships change through time but always remain important. Definitely inspired me to be more active in some of my WhatsApp group and tell those special to me just how special they are.

[Jo Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is just a snippet of the writing talent that lies beyond the names that come up repeatedly on our shelves and screens. Each piece had me impressed and absorbed and I felt inspired for my own writing, too. I hope Dear Damsels will release more printed collections (and not just so that I can submit my work!). These pieces are thought provoking and relatable and beautifully written - no exceptions.

[Nora Thurkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful anthology - loads to identify with, loads to think about and loads of writers to watch. My highlights:
'What's on your Mind?' by Hannah Wright, a nostalgic and astute portrait of the changing "digital sisterhood" from 10p-a-time text messages, through MSN ("the agonising digital chorus of the dial-up tone"), MySpace and Facebook to the relative privacy of WhatsApp groups.
'Seating Arrangements' by Sara Sherwood - dinner party dramas (class, sexuality, dietary requirements) set against a changed friendship. "When Poppy left our flat... to move in with Jack, she gave all the secret parts of herself, which had been for me and her, to him."
And the beautiful 'Here is What I Meant When I Said That' by Francesca Raine. "Look at all these patches of time that we have stitched / Together. Look at the boundless quilt / That we have made."

[Emily Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me crying on the train :( female friendship can be so beautiful and expansive and these short stories and poetry paint that so well! But what destroyed me is how sad it is when friendships get replaced by romantic love. Most of these stories had one friend getting left behind and I couldn’t help but relate. We also saw the friendships we find as we grow older which was beautiful, made me grateful for my girlies 💛

[Maya Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gobbled this up in a day.
There is such a place for anthologies like these. Women supporting women. Love extending beyond romantic and familial - but also to our sisters in the greater sense.
Laughs, tears and many moments where you just put the book down to just momentarily...ponder.

[Yvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some wonderful chewy phrases in this, a lot to like. I wish there was more though. It seemed too quick. I would have loved to see a few more poetry pieces, and for it to come full circle back to some positive, caring stories at the end.

[Nicolarowlands · Rating 3 out of 5]

The standout story in here was by Alexandra burton, a piece about a friend dying of cancer which resonated in a really real and not twee way. I didn’t really love the other pieces, I’m sad to say- nothing too memorable about them. The cover is beautiful though!

[Hannah Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the variety of voices in this. So many of the experiences in the book resonated with my own, highly recommend!

[Laura Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous collection.