Nosy White Woman

by Martha Wilson

A debut collection from a powerful new literary voice chronicling the intersection of politics and daily lives.

A daughter tries to explain to her mother why calling the police isn't always a good idea. A caretaking group of sisters must rely on each other, but one has a fierce drinking problem. A mother confronts the frightening environmental damage of the world in which her child must grow old. In these sixteen stories, Martha Wilson provides a powerful look at the intersection of politics and daily life in our contemporary world, showing us the banal and gritty connections that lie there.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published August 20, 2019

About the author

Martha Wilson's fiction collection Nosy White Woman was published in 2019 by literary press Biblioasis. The collection won the 2020 Alistair MacLeod fiction prize.

Her fiction has appeared in Best Canadian Stories 2017; Canadian Notes & Queries; Event; Grain; and the New Quarterly. She has also written for the New York Times; Real Simple; the Japan Times; and the International Herald-Tribune.

Reviews

[Laurie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Good stories, some hit to mark more than others with me.
Relatable for a nosy white woman like me :)

Nice little snippets into lives, pictures of parts of it that are enjoyable to read.

[Mia Cuneo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t think I liked short stories but I loved these

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories that contemplate disconnection, and the slow realization that some things change in people's lives...and other things will remain static and immovable. There were one or two stories that left me cold, but the rest displayed a quiet, compelling, easy-to-read laconic style that very much appealed to me.

[Monicah]

I found so many elements of the southerner in these stories by a now-Canadian. While I can't put my finger on why and where in the writing, some of the stories were so quietly familiar. I enjoyed and looked forward to this read each day.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these stories; they captured so many small moments with such grace and nuance. I'm not usually a big short story reader but these were fantastic!