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In the Event of Contact
Winner of the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize. In the Event of Contact chronicles characters profoundly affected by physical connection, or its lack.
Among them, a scrappy teen vies to be the next Sherlock Holmes; an immigrant daughter must defend her decision to remain childless; a guilt-ridden woman is haunted by the disappearance of her childhood friend; a cantankerous crossing guard celebrates getting run over by a truck; an embattled priest with dementia determines to perform a heroic, redemptive act, if he can only remember how; and an aspirational, angst-ridden mother captains the skies.
Amid backgrounds of trespass and absence, the indelible characters of In the Event of Contact seek renewed belief in recovery, humanity, and the remains of wonder.
"This is a terrific collection; each story is its own thing, gripping, powerful and very moving." —RODDY DOYLE
“Spare, haunting, and mesmerizing, the stories in In the Event of Contact somehow capture the ungraspable essence of being human. This book, these characters, put a spell on me.” —Diane Cook, author of the Booker finalist THE NEW WILDERNESS
“In this amazing collection, Rohan traces the determined spirit of the hopeful; how we seek to connect and anchor so as not to capsize in life’s treacherous waves. What an elegant, telling, gorgeous book.” —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of THE CHILD FINDER
“Rohan’s stories are small electric shocks of discovery. Here, she writes about how love and wonder can coexist right alongside betrayal, danger, rage. How can such a collection be both unsettling and redemptive? How can any of us tease out light in our darkness? Rohan’s alchemy points the way.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of PICTURES OF YOU
“These characters long for connections that keep eluding them: they feel so much and yet can touch so little. Their tragedies and resilience are brilliantly various and individual--none alike, and none exactly like ours--but they speak to the universal through the particular as only art can manage. A tremendous achievement.”
—Clare Beams, author of THE ILLNESS LESSON
“A remarkable collection of understated yet powerful stories about people who trespass, and are trespassed against. Rohan writes with such sensitivity and compassion, and long after I was done reading, I kept thinking about her characters and how uniquely she gave witness to their complicated lives and private pain.” —Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author of CALIFORNIA
"Beautiful, startling, disarming, and honest, In the Event of Contact is disquieting and compelling in equal measure." —Danielle McLaughlin, author of THE ART OF FALLING
"Each of these stories is beautifully-written, wise and wry; read as a collection, their cumulative effect is gently devastating. With the lightest hand, Ethel Rohan has delivered a meditation on what it is to be human: surrounded by people, quite alone and perpetually craving connection." —Louise Kennedy, author of THE END OF THE WORLD IS A CUL DE SAC
Among them, a scrappy teen vies to be the next Sherlock Holmes; an immigrant daughter must defend her decision to remain childless; a guilt-ridden woman is haunted by the disappearance of her childhood friend; a cantankerous crossing guard celebrates getting run over by a truck; an embattled priest with dementia determines to perform a heroic, redemptive act, if he can only remember how; and an aspirational, angst-ridden mother captains the skies.
Amid backgrounds of trespass and absence, the indelible characters of In the Event of Contact seek renewed belief in recovery, humanity, and the remains of wonder.
"This is a terrific collection; each story is its own thing, gripping, powerful and very moving." —RODDY DOYLE
“Spare, haunting, and mesmerizing, the stories in In the Event of Contact somehow capture the ungraspable essence of being human. This book, these characters, put a spell on me.” —Diane Cook, author of the Booker finalist THE NEW WILDERNESS
“In this amazing collection, Rohan traces the determined spirit of the hopeful; how we seek to connect and anchor so as not to capsize in life’s treacherous waves. What an elegant, telling, gorgeous book.” —Rene Denfeld, bestselling author of THE CHILD FINDER
“Rohan’s stories are small electric shocks of discovery. Here, she writes about how love and wonder can coexist right alongside betrayal, danger, rage. How can such a collection be both unsettling and redemptive? How can any of us tease out light in our darkness? Rohan’s alchemy points the way.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of PICTURES OF YOU
“These characters long for connections that keep eluding them: they feel so much and yet can touch so little. Their tragedies and resilience are brilliantly various and individual--none alike, and none exactly like ours--but they speak to the universal through the particular as only art can manage. A tremendous achievement.”
—Clare Beams, author of THE ILLNESS LESSON
“A remarkable collection of understated yet powerful stories about people who trespass, and are trespassed against. Rohan writes with such sensitivity and compassion, and long after I was done reading, I kept thinking about her characters and how uniquely she gave witness to their complicated lives and private pain.” —Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author of CALIFORNIA
"Beautiful, startling, disarming, and honest, In the Event of Contact is disquieting and compelling in equal measure." —Danielle McLaughlin, author of THE ART OF FALLING
"Each of these stories is beautifully-written, wise and wry; read as a collection, their cumulative effect is gently devastating. With the lightest hand, Ethel Rohan has delivered a meditation on what it is to be human: surrounded by people, quite alone and perpetually craving connection." —Louise Kennedy, author of THE END OF THE WORLD IS A CUL DE SAC
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 18, 2021
15 people are currently reading
3383 people want to read
About the author
Ethel Rohan
23 books263 followersEthel Rohan is an award-winning essayist, novelist, and short story writer. Most recently, In the Event of Contact won the Dzanc Short Story Collection Prize, the Eric Hoffer Short Story Collection Prize, and the Gold Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) for Best European Fiction. She has published widely beyond her books, including work in The New York Times, World Literature Today, The Washington Post, The Irish Times, PEN America, Tin House, and The Stinging Fly. For her recent foray into playwriting, she received a residency at Pavilion Theatre Studio, Dublin (2023). Rohan's second novel, Sing, I, is forthcoming from TriQuarterly Books/Northwestern University Press (April 15, 2024). Raised in Ireland and flavored in San Francisco, she currently lives outside London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
January 2, 2021
These stories are vivid, poignant, and honed. Each story, by the end of the first page, conjures a setting and a set of characters who are vulnerable, flawed, and recognizable. Ethel Rohan brings us to a new physical and psychological landscape for each story, and yet the collection feels cohesive. At its heart, these stories present characters who are driven by passions that obstruct their view of reality, or realities that obstruct characters' access to their passions. We have, for instance, a priest battling dementia and in denial about his forced retirement, and a mother of young children who has long suppressed a dream to fly. These stories were so well crafted in terms of style, structure, and vision, that I never once doubted them; they held me from beginning to end.
April 5, 2021
IN THE EVENT OF CONTACT by Ethel Rohan is a great short story collection! There were several stories that dealt with some heavy issues such as cheating, abuse and death. I really enjoyed the stories featuring strong female characters. My fave stories were Rare, But Not Impossible and At the Side of the Road which both had women as the main characters. It was interesting to read the Irish dialect in all these stories. I read this book a few stories at a time in between my other current read and it was nice to be able to read this book a bit at a time. I’d definitely recommend to pick this one up if you’re interested in short stories! 2021 is turning out to be the year of short stories for me and I’m loving it!
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Thank you to DZanc Books for my advance review copy!
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Thank you to DZanc Books for my advance review copy!
May 21, 2021
In the Event of Contact is Exhibit A for why short story collections are absolute perfection. Ethel is an amazing writer. Each story is vibrant and rich and satisfying, and together they provide such a powerful reading experience. I was swept away to Ireland in this collection, but more importantly I was brought to close to the things that make us human.
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May 20, 2021Interview at Ploughshares: https://blog.pshares.org/im-not-sure-...
May 2, 2021
Some beauties in here- "Into the West," "Wilde," Rare But No Impossible," "The Great Blue Open," "Any Wonder Left," ! So happy there's another Ethel Rohan book in the world!
February 27, 2021
Irish author Ethel Rohan introduces us to vulnerable, relatable characters in this poignant and unique collection of stories. In the Event of Contact recounts the experiences of characters profoundly affected by physical connection, or the absence of physical connection thereby making this book more timely than ever. All of the stories in this collection are gorgeous but I’d like to share some lines from my favorite “Everywhere She Went.” As I read this story of a daughter returning from the US to visit her aging parents in Ireland my heart was tugged and pulled with vivid images and powerful dialogue.
“…they thought she’d gotten a bit big in herself in America. She felt the need to watch what she said around them, and everyone else here. To put herself down in good measure.”
There are many gorgeous and relatable lines in this story such as these:
“To be ordinary and discounted, and to dare to stand up to that much power, it was risky, remarkable. It could crush you.”
“Mam couldn’t ever concede that the church and state played and cheated women. It would call into question her entire existence.”
When I read great books by Irish authors I’m immediately transported home, in the language and the expressions and through vivid settings like the ones in Ethel Rohan’s book. If you wish to be transported and moved, preorder this book today.
And if you wish to check out my blog where I review this book and four others while pairing each
book with a tea and a gluten free treat here is the link: https://booksteaandglutenfree.wordpre...
“…they thought she’d gotten a bit big in herself in America. She felt the need to watch what she said around them, and everyone else here. To put herself down in good measure.”
There are many gorgeous and relatable lines in this story such as these:
“To be ordinary and discounted, and to dare to stand up to that much power, it was risky, remarkable. It could crush you.”
“Mam couldn’t ever concede that the church and state played and cheated women. It would call into question her entire existence.”
When I read great books by Irish authors I’m immediately transported home, in the language and the expressions and through vivid settings like the ones in Ethel Rohan’s book. If you wish to be transported and moved, preorder this book today.
And if you wish to check out my blog where I review this book and four others while pairing each
book with a tea and a gluten free treat here is the link: https://booksteaandglutenfree.wordpre...
May 18, 2021
I’ve been reading this beautiful, gut-wrenching collection slowly, savoring each story — a triplet who cannot bear human touch, a woman returning to her home country of Ireland and weighing the ways she does and doesn’t belong, a teenager with an uncertain future fixating on a glamorous boarder, two old friends inviting an unexpected stranger to drink with them. Merely listing the premises doesn’t do justice to the deft tenderness and incisiveness Rohan brings to every character, every situation. Each story is lit up with a tension and a compassion that lingers in your heart and mind.
May 26, 2021
Fourteen stories on what it means to be a human being, alone, resilient, young, aging, and always craving contact. All the stories are wonderful. My favorite is titled “Blue Hot” about a seventeen year old girl wanting to be in love. The man in question spills blood on their first date and she knows even then not to turn it into poetry. The Dzanc Short Story collection prize is well deserved. Ms Rohan’s prose is understated and mesmerizing. Highly recommended.
November 16, 2023
This collection is beautiful and varied, looking at transatlantic life, family, culture, and the struggle to be true to oneself when the world conspires.
May 16, 2021
This collection of short stories is a brilliantly original and beautiful read. The book focuses around the theme of those extremely affected by physical connections, or it’s lack. Each story is very unique and left me to ponder my own likeness to each character.
The stories, although unique, still form the collection seamlessly. Rohan captured the complexity of each character very well. Their flaws, insecurities, and beliefs were all integrated in a way that made every character feel physically and psychologically distinctive.
I have never read a book that has a style quite like Rohan. It is so fresh. I found myself sucked into each character’s life and feeling both devastated and hopeful for each one.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys deep and meaningful short stories.
The stories, although unique, still form the collection seamlessly. Rohan captured the complexity of each character very well. Their flaws, insecurities, and beliefs were all integrated in a way that made every character feel physically and psychologically distinctive.
I have never read a book that has a style quite like Rohan. It is so fresh. I found myself sucked into each character’s life and feeling both devastated and hopeful for each one.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys deep and meaningful short stories.
June 1, 2021
The problem with most of these stories is that they begin at the beginning and end at the ending. With clunky metaphors and trite character descriptions (so many “ice/dreamy/pale blue eyes”), Rohan’s unimaginative delivery leaves little to interpret or intuit.
The title story is compelling for its premise, the narrator’s feelings of inarticulable jealousy relatable. A few final stories are also satisfying reads: in “Wilde,” Oscar Wilde as hallucination-cum-imaginary friend is Rohan’s best device; the suspense in “F is for Something” more or less works; and the dread in “The Great Blue Open” rings true.
It’s the middle that gets muddled, feeling inauthentic and belabored. I’m glad I didn’t judge it by its cover (practically illegible on the back with that patterned design!), but I don’t think I’ll be recommending it any time soon.
The title story is compelling for its premise, the narrator’s feelings of inarticulable jealousy relatable. A few final stories are also satisfying reads: in “Wilde,” Oscar Wilde as hallucination-cum-imaginary friend is Rohan’s best device; the suspense in “F is for Something” more or less works; and the dread in “The Great Blue Open” rings true.
It’s the middle that gets muddled, feeling inauthentic and belabored. I’m glad I didn’t judge it by its cover (practically illegible on the back with that patterned design!), but I don’t think I’ll be recommending it any time soon.
June 2, 2021
Reader, if you think you don't the short story form, this compelling book will change your mind. Each story is a small electric shock of discovery, its characters longing for connection and often failing to find it. Ethel Rohan wrote "In the Event of Contact" before the pandemic but it speaks to our human isolation and resilience right now. My current favorite story takes place in an Irish pub, where two old women friends hoot with laughter, meet a mysterious stranger, and both share and conceal their grief. I felt like I was there with them, the rain pouring down outside. I didn't want it to end.
Hailed by Bitch Media as one of the BEST FEMINIST READS of Spring 2021, Rohan's prize-winning collection is crafted in spare prose and dedicated to survivors. Moving and infused with hope.
Hailed by Bitch Media as one of the BEST FEMINIST READS of Spring 2021, Rohan's prize-winning collection is crafted in spare prose and dedicated to survivors. Moving and infused with hope.
October 19, 2021
A collection of engaging stories about people and their longing to connect with people. I was surprised how wrapped up I was in each story even though they were short.
May 9, 2021
In the Event of Contact is a short story collection with a unique set of characters. Each one grapples with a difficult situation, whether it's death, not following in their parents' footsteps, or generally questioning the world around them. I really enjoyed how different each story was and that even the simplest stories had me gripped to the pages.
Thank you to DZanc Books for the advance review copy!
Thank you to DZanc Books for the advance review copy!
June 7, 2021
This collection of wonderfully crafted short stories portray snippets of everyday life in the extraordinary light they deserve. After all, there is never anything ordinary about anyone’s existence, not really. Each story is wrapped carefully in its own tidy package, coming together in the end like the bow on top, just as fine short story writing ought to be.
Ethel Rohan, the author, is Irish but lives in the United States; her stories are set on both sides of the pond, bringing a unique perspective. She experiments with a menagerie of characters and protagonists, from the triplet sisters in the title story, to a middle-aged widow in “Collisions” and the aging priest who is losing his sense of purpose as he is “put out to pasture” in “F is for Something.” Rohan feels her characters, becomes them. And we, her readers, become them too.
“Blindsided” and a few others have a strong hint of Flannery O’Connor but more subtle. As an O’Connor fan myself, I am particularly drawn to these, with their morally flawed and dark characters who exhibit quirky behaviors.
Throughout all her stories, Rohan fixates on eyes, the window to the soul. Mrs. Hennessy in “Bindsided” is “dark-haired and night-eyed” as compared to Dave who is “blond and sky-eyed.” In “Before Storms Had Names,” Rohan describes eyes that are “the color of starlings’ eggs.” And a favorite of mine from “F is for Something:” “…the milk congealed at the top of his tea like cataract clouding a large brown eye.” Indeed each story is a peak into a soul.
Because she believes she may be dying, the protagonist in “The Great Blue Open” performs a daring, secret act. Why do so many of us choose to act on our dreams only when we are pushed to the brink? Why do we settle in inertia? This book contains many such questions.
In “Everywhere She Went,” instead of telling us the protagonist is fed up with her marriage and her husband, Rohan writes: “That groove appears between his eyebrows, like a coin slot in a vending machine. I realize there isn’t anything I want to select from inside him.” As my husband said when I read that line aloud to him—brutal!
Although some of the themes are somewhat controversial, the author manages to maintain a subtle, low-key quality that demonstrates a certain respect for both the topic and the reader, as in “Rare, but Not Impossible.” The woman who has an abortion because she chooses not to have children compares her body to a piano that is not played in that it does not serve its purpose. In “Blue Hot” Rohan addresses cultural acceptance of domestic violence as her character learns the differences between love and ownership.
These tender stories tell the tale of how we all struggle to believe in ourselves, to live larger, to recover from loss. They are beautiful, like people, they form a commonality while expressing at the same time an individuality. I will be reading these stories again.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Regina Allen for this review.
Ethel Rohan, the author, is Irish but lives in the United States; her stories are set on both sides of the pond, bringing a unique perspective. She experiments with a menagerie of characters and protagonists, from the triplet sisters in the title story, to a middle-aged widow in “Collisions” and the aging priest who is losing his sense of purpose as he is “put out to pasture” in “F is for Something.” Rohan feels her characters, becomes them. And we, her readers, become them too.
“Blindsided” and a few others have a strong hint of Flannery O’Connor but more subtle. As an O’Connor fan myself, I am particularly drawn to these, with their morally flawed and dark characters who exhibit quirky behaviors.
Throughout all her stories, Rohan fixates on eyes, the window to the soul. Mrs. Hennessy in “Bindsided” is “dark-haired and night-eyed” as compared to Dave who is “blond and sky-eyed.” In “Before Storms Had Names,” Rohan describes eyes that are “the color of starlings’ eggs.” And a favorite of mine from “F is for Something:” “…the milk congealed at the top of his tea like cataract clouding a large brown eye.” Indeed each story is a peak into a soul.
Because she believes she may be dying, the protagonist in “The Great Blue Open” performs a daring, secret act. Why do so many of us choose to act on our dreams only when we are pushed to the brink? Why do we settle in inertia? This book contains many such questions.
In “Everywhere She Went,” instead of telling us the protagonist is fed up with her marriage and her husband, Rohan writes: “That groove appears between his eyebrows, like a coin slot in a vending machine. I realize there isn’t anything I want to select from inside him.” As my husband said when I read that line aloud to him—brutal!
Although some of the themes are somewhat controversial, the author manages to maintain a subtle, low-key quality that demonstrates a certain respect for both the topic and the reader, as in “Rare, but Not Impossible.” The woman who has an abortion because she chooses not to have children compares her body to a piano that is not played in that it does not serve its purpose. In “Blue Hot” Rohan addresses cultural acceptance of domestic violence as her character learns the differences between love and ownership.
These tender stories tell the tale of how we all struggle to believe in ourselves, to live larger, to recover from loss. They are beautiful, like people, they form a commonality while expressing at the same time an individuality. I will be reading these stories again.
Story Circle Book Reviews thanks Regina Allen for this review.
June 17, 2021
I just opened my first little free library at my home and I contacted three authors requesting a copy of their books. Only Ethel Rohan responded and not only did she sent me this amazing book " In the Event of Contact", but she also sent me second book written by her " The Weight of Him". I read the first short story "In the event of contact" and I just had to read the rest! A wonderful collection of powerful, gripping & moving short storiesI Totally recommend it!
April 28, 2021
In the Event of Contact by Ethel Rohan is a very highly recommended collection of fourteen short stories. All of the stories focus on Irish characters who are lonely, vulnerable, different, and feel isolated and disassociated from other people. The writing captures the insecurity and alienation of the characters and their struggles with an ordinary life, in all of its complications and uncertainties. Rohan's stories also explore interpersonal and familiar relationships that can be fraught with emotions and repressed sentiments. The tone is quiet and somber in these short stories. The writing is exceptional and beautifully captures the story of these lives in all their subtleties and complexities.
contents include:
In the Event of Contact: A girl has a disorder where she experiences seizures if anyone accidentally touches her.
Into the West: A man, who is following the example of unfaithfulness his father set, has his complaining mother visit.
Everywhere She Went: A woman is still affected by the disappearance of her best friend when they were children.
Rare, But Not Impossible: A visit home for a friend's wedding stresses out a woman who does not want children.
UNWANTED: A teen who loves to read wants to be the next Sherlock Holmes.
Collisions: Two long time female friends have a night out.
At the Side of the Road: A young woman sells produce at a stand for the summer and wonders what she will do next.
Blindsided: A grouchy male crossing guard gets hit by a truck and hires a woman to help his recovery at home.
Before Storms Had Names: A farm family takes in a lodger and the son, Rory, is smitten.
Blue Hot: A 17 year-old young woman dates an 18 year-old man who beat up some other teens on their first date.
Wilde: A woman has Oscar Wilde become her invisible companion.
F Is for Something: A priest with dementia is being forced to retire.
Any Wonder Left: Sister's clean out their father's house after his death and one of them finds help getting trash to the dump.
The Great Blue Open: A woman is experiencing a woman's health problem and needs a medical diagnoses.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Dzanc Books in exchange for my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/0...
contents include:
In the Event of Contact: A girl has a disorder where she experiences seizures if anyone accidentally touches her.
Into the West: A man, who is following the example of unfaithfulness his father set, has his complaining mother visit.
Everywhere She Went: A woman is still affected by the disappearance of her best friend when they were children.
Rare, But Not Impossible: A visit home for a friend's wedding stresses out a woman who does not want children.
UNWANTED: A teen who loves to read wants to be the next Sherlock Holmes.
Collisions: Two long time female friends have a night out.
At the Side of the Road: A young woman sells produce at a stand for the summer and wonders what she will do next.
Blindsided: A grouchy male crossing guard gets hit by a truck and hires a woman to help his recovery at home.
Before Storms Had Names: A farm family takes in a lodger and the son, Rory, is smitten.
Blue Hot: A 17 year-old young woman dates an 18 year-old man who beat up some other teens on their first date.
Wilde: A woman has Oscar Wilde become her invisible companion.
F Is for Something: A priest with dementia is being forced to retire.
Any Wonder Left: Sister's clean out their father's house after his death and one of them finds help getting trash to the dump.
The Great Blue Open: A woman is experiencing a woman's health problem and needs a medical diagnoses.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Dzanc Books in exchange for my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/0...
April 28, 2021
(Trigger Warnings at bottom of review hidden behind spoiler tags, FYI!)
This contemporary short story collection traverses the complexities of human contact (both the existence and absence) through the lens of Irish and American characters, each story a unique stone that builds a foundation of complex experiences that are both familiar and idiosyncratic.
Rohan tackles some tough subjects in this anthology. Despite this, I do think Rohan handles the trauma by carefully extruding the emotion at the core, not glorifying the drama and tiptoeing away from being crass or cruel in its expression. Except for when it’s triggering or when we’re not mentally in a healthy space to approach it (see trigger warnings at bottom of review), these are subjects and themes that we can’t ignore; they’re part of all our lives or the lives of those around us. It’s a tough read in places, but I think there’s value in books like this because it forces us to look in the mirror to the parts of us we don’t like to see.
As a writer, I admire authors that can wield techniques in fiction that I’m not as fluent in achieving myself. The subtlety and nuance that Rohan creates in her stories, saying so much with so deft a palette, is beyond my capabilities. It’s like watching an impressionist artist at work; each colorful, bold stroke of paint on its own a beautiful but innocuous mark, but together an organic, flowing portrait that creates a whole that is both raw and unmistakable. She takes a story with so much emotion and texture, and turns it at just the right angle to leave us guessing except for the moments where the jigsaw pieces fit just right, and we’re hit with the enormity of it.
Trigger Warnings:
This contemporary short story collection traverses the complexities of human contact (both the existence and absence) through the lens of Irish and American characters, each story a unique stone that builds a foundation of complex experiences that are both familiar and idiosyncratic.
Rohan tackles some tough subjects in this anthology. Despite this, I do think Rohan handles the trauma by carefully extruding the emotion at the core, not glorifying the drama and tiptoeing away from being crass or cruel in its expression. Except for when it’s triggering or when we’re not mentally in a healthy space to approach it (see trigger warnings at bottom of review), these are subjects and themes that we can’t ignore; they’re part of all our lives or the lives of those around us. It’s a tough read in places, but I think there’s value in books like this because it forces us to look in the mirror to the parts of us we don’t like to see.
As a writer, I admire authors that can wield techniques in fiction that I’m not as fluent in achieving myself. The subtlety and nuance that Rohan creates in her stories, saying so much with so deft a palette, is beyond my capabilities. It’s like watching an impressionist artist at work; each colorful, bold stroke of paint on its own a beautiful but innocuous mark, but together an organic, flowing portrait that creates a whole that is both raw and unmistakable. She takes a story with so much emotion and texture, and turns it at just the right angle to leave us guessing except for the moments where the jigsaw pieces fit just right, and we’re hit with the enormity of it.
Trigger Warnings:
June 7, 2021
In the Event of Contact is a brilliant collection. Each story is its own unique gem—its own delightful and poignant experience for the reader. Rohan introduces us to her multi-layered characters, and in no time at all, we care deeply for them. She brings us into their minds and bodies—their insights, fears, and wanting so true to life. The author explores the way we, as humans, attempt to cope with loss, the guilt and trauma we carry, the way we desire and persevere--the way we survive.
Ethel Rohan is a storyteller with incredible skill; her symphony of characters are varied and complex, and they continually surprise us. With lyrical, poetic, precise prose, and such rich characters and settings, Rohan leaves us wanting MORE. I forced myself to read this book slowly, so I could savor each moment, and now, I look forward to reading it again and again. This is an insightful, honest compelling work.
Ethel Rohan is a storyteller with incredible skill; her symphony of characters are varied and complex, and they continually surprise us. With lyrical, poetic, precise prose, and such rich characters and settings, Rohan leaves us wanting MORE. I forced myself to read this book slowly, so I could savor each moment, and now, I look forward to reading it again and again. This is an insightful, honest compelling work.
October 12, 2021
This finely wrought collection of stories present characters on two sides of the world, in Ireland and in the United States, all sharing in common the troubles around establishing and maintaining contact with other people in their lives. The book opens with a story about triplets one of whom develops a phobia about being touched, and the story follows the way even her sisters have a hard time acknowledging and respecting her boundaries. Other relationships being examined here include that between spouses, parents and children, and in particular the difficulties of maintaining a bond while leaving far apart from one another, in different countries. There's even a story about a priest who is developing dementia and is losing touch with reality and how challenging and scary that is. This book has a big heart and it has a way of illuminating, in a kind way, problems that felt very personal and familiar.
November 15, 2022
The writing is spare and beautiful in each of Ethel Rohan’s stories. The characters are defined by their search for connection, their vulnerability, their shortcomings, their humanity. The individual stories add up to a portrait of loneliness and reaching which defines us all, especially in this era of enforced isolation. Teenage triplets navigate perilous waters in their search to bridge a seemingly insurmountable chasm, an aging priest struggles ferociously to regain his footing and dignity after a lifetime of service, a boy uses his detective skills to help his friend recover his lost brother, a young mother faced with death, literally learns to fly. The Irish settings and characters are drawn with sweet specificity and several stories skillfully delineate the particularity of immigrants returning to their native Ireland to visit, the pain and joy, the code-switching as they navigate both cultures and negotiate if and where they really belong. This collection reveals the flaws, the gaps in understanding, the near misses, and sometimes the triumphs that make us human.
May 18, 2021
I was an advance reader for this book. I wanted to read it because I am a fan of the author’s work (The Weight of Him). This collection did not disappoint! It’s a perfect blend of sacred and profane. Characters just going about their ordinary lives take you on an extraordinary emotional journey. Each story is an expertly crafted and intimate glimpse into the heart of human interaction. THIS is what literature is about. Heartbreaking, and at times humorous and uplifting. You will not forget this book.
June 7, 2021
A wonderful collection of short stories set mostly in Ireland, with unforgettable, resilient characters: an expat living in New York, home for a friend's wedding, facing pressure from her elderly parents to produce a grandchild; a young woman haunted by memories of the disappearance of a childhood friend; a young man trapped on the family farm, intrigued by the female lodger who has claimed freedom by leaving her husband; a woman with heavy vaginal bleeding, worried she has cancer, who goes to flight school unbeknownst to her husband and two young daughters; an elderly priest struggling with dementia. Rohan captures these dilemmas with beautiful prose that stays with the reader long after the final pages are turned.
June 17, 2021
This is a wonderful collection of short stories, that stayed with me long after I had finished reading them. Regular readers of my blog know how much I love short stories. This collection has a specific theme of contact and sometimes the lack thereof.
There are so many beautiful stories within this book, the author has successfully created fourteen unique worlds that are all so different but have this individual theme going through them. The characters will stay with you and like all good writing, will make you think.
Highly recommended.
There are so many beautiful stories within this book, the author has successfully created fourteen unique worlds that are all so different but have this individual theme going through them. The characters will stay with you and like all good writing, will make you think.
Highly recommended.
July 21, 2021
What a fantastic collection of stories, rich with characters, settings and plot. You are in the mind of each flawed character. You see the not so idyllic Irish and American settings. You yearn for the conflict s to resolve, which they often don’t, but you are satisfied at the end. This book is a beautiful use of the language.
January 20, 2025
These short stories were so interesting at first I don’t think I really paid much attention until half way when I started to relate to some of them especially the last three specifically those really made it for me I almost DNFd but I’m so so glad I didn’t weirdly those last three were exactly what I needed right now
June 4, 2021
I'm not a big reader, and I prefer biographies, but these stories involve such a great variety of characters and situations that put me right into each scene, they delivered the satisfaction of my favorite kind of books. I know the author likes crime dramas and psychological thrillers and I really wish she would go there in her next book. Her use of suspense and tension, and taking us to the edges of menace and mysteries, are wonderfully done.
June 10, 2021
I don't usually read collections of stories, but after seeing good reviews, I decided to, and it is without a doubt that Rohan writes beautiful stories with very strong characters. This is a beautiful book, and I think many people - regardless of preferred genre - will enjoy this one.
June 28, 2021
I don't usually read short stories for this very reason - I just want so much more from all these amazing characters. She does a great job pulling the reader in, getting me to feel for them in such quick order. Life is far from perfect for her characters, they are quite real.
September 21, 2021
I absolutely love this collection of 14 short stories by Ethel Rohan. Full of characters that are intriguing, flawed, complexed and real! Stories that leave you wanting more after you finish each one. I highly recommend this book-you won’t be disappointed!
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