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The Archivists: Stories
Longlisted for the 2024 Joyce Carol Oates Prize - Winner of the 2021 Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction
The characters in The Archivists are everyday people, but when private losses or the shocks of history set their worlds reeling, they find connection and liberation in surprising, buoyant ways. Winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, this vibrant collection brings transcendence, wry humor, and a touch of the uncanny to life’s absurdities and catastrophes—whether the 2008 economic crash, fallout after the 2016 presidential election, gentrification, pandemic lockdown, illness, or the intergenerational impacts of the Holocaust and Communist occupation of Eastern Europe.
A hardheaded realist is confronted by both her mortality and a would-be wizard. A thirteen-year-old girl in 1950s Toronto infiltrates the ranks of Bell Canada. A ninety-nine-year-old woman appears to be invincible. A group hikes in Germany while a solitary woman is pursued on a walk in New Mexico. These deeply moving stories ingeniously consider issues of identity, history, and memory and our shared search for meaning in an off-kilter world.
The characters in The Archivists are everyday people, but when private losses or the shocks of history set their worlds reeling, they find connection and liberation in surprising, buoyant ways. Winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction, this vibrant collection brings transcendence, wry humor, and a touch of the uncanny to life’s absurdities and catastrophes—whether the 2008 economic crash, fallout after the 2016 presidential election, gentrification, pandemic lockdown, illness, or the intergenerational impacts of the Holocaust and Communist occupation of Eastern Europe.
A hardheaded realist is confronted by both her mortality and a would-be wizard. A thirteen-year-old girl in 1950s Toronto infiltrates the ranks of Bell Canada. A ninety-nine-year-old woman appears to be invincible. A group hikes in Germany while a solitary woman is pursued on a walk in New Mexico. These deeply moving stories ingeniously consider issues of identity, history, and memory and our shared search for meaning in an off-kilter world.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
232 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2023
9 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Daphne Kalotay
8 books248 followersDaphne Kalotay grew up in New Jersey, where her parents had relocated from Ontario; her mother is Canadian, while her father came from Hungary to Canada as a teen. Daphne attended Vassar College, majoring in psychology, before moving to Boston to attend Boston University's graduate program in fiction writing. She stayed on to earn a PhD in Modern and Contemporary literature, writing her dissertation on one of her favorite writers, Mavis Gallant. Her interview with Mavis Gallant can be found in the Paris Review's Writers-at-work series. At Boston University, Daphne's stories won the school's Florence Engell Randall Fiction Prize and a Henfield Foundation Award. Her first book, the fiction collection Calamity and Other Stories, was short-listed for the Story Prize and includes work first published in Agni, Good Housekeeping, The Literary Review, Missouri Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and Prairie Schooner. Her debut novel, the international bestseller Russian Winter, won the 2011 Writers' League of Texas Award in Fiction. Her second novel, the Boston Globe bestseller Sight Reading, won the New England Society Book Award in Fiction, and her third novel, Blue Hours, was a Massachusetts Book Awards "Must Read." Her new collection, The Archivists, is the winner of the Grace Paley Prize for Short Fiction. Daphne has taught literature and creative writing at Boston University, University of Massachusetts, Harvard University, Skidmore College, Middlebury College, and Princeton University. She lives in the Boston area.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 27, 2022
Perfection. No notes.
January 30, 2023
I received an uncorrected proof copy of this from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
This beautiful collection of 12 short stories poignantly captures the private calamities of individual life. In these stories we see characters suffering from the generational fallout of the Holocaust, the death of friends and family members, of relationships crumbling, the shifting world after the Covid-19 pandemic, and much more. Loss and navigating life after the death of loved ones is a central pillar of these stories but overall, Kalotay's characters are resilient and persevere.
All of these stories are beautiful in their own way but a few in particular stood out to me. "A Guide to Lesser Divinities" is perhaps the most tongue in cheek humor of the bunch, but still quite a sad tale. In it, college instructor Eliana is navigating grief and her own role in that loss while coming to terms with her feelings for her boyfriend and her job. Her scorn for those that abuse the English language is a highlight of the tale, and I couldn't help but be amused by Eliana's lectures to her students: "learn the difference between can and may, uninterested and disinterested, lay and lie. To deny the accuracy of one versus the other, I explained, was a first step toward moral corrosion. I told them that the degradation of language set the stage for ethical misjudgment, that our careful parsing of word choice and allusion were skills to combat despots and charlatans. That the semicolons they so blithely misused might be the last feeble shims propping up our teetering republic" (61).
In "Providence," 45-year-old Talia has a health scare while jogging that ultimately leads to her realizing the truth of her feelings for neighbor Gordie and of the singular nature of their connection: "She could let down her guard with him, could tell him anything, even her bleak, unattractive thoughts - of accumulated disappointment and small, sharp wounds, of her dubiousness about the world in general. Sometimes she even saw herself as Gordie did: her archaic qualities as exotic quirks, her chunky stereo system as "cool," and her lack of a television or streaming service as "subversive" (95). Talia's is one of the more uplifting stories in the collection and was beautiful in its reveal of a goodness emerging from something scary and bleak.
"Seeing" in which Kristin is stalked by a man while walking on an empty country road was haunting and perfectly captures the fear that I think most women can relate to of being alone and threatened by a male. And "Oblivion," the final story in the book, was yet another haunting tale, of the way Joan worked her way out of poverty and returns home to help her cousin who has slipped into dementia. The final scene of his house, with his voice echoing on the voice machine, gave me such a lonely and deeply sad feeling.
Kalotay has immense range and can beautifully capture grief, loss, mental health issues, and fear that we all inevitably face as humans. Her characters show up in cities all over the globe, with all different life stories but they share a human connection and are deeply relatable. They each contain multitudes. Told in rich, beautiful, haunting language, this was a beautiful collection, with each story somehow more moving and transforming than the last.
4.5 stars
This beautiful collection of 12 short stories poignantly captures the private calamities of individual life. In these stories we see characters suffering from the generational fallout of the Holocaust, the death of friends and family members, of relationships crumbling, the shifting world after the Covid-19 pandemic, and much more. Loss and navigating life after the death of loved ones is a central pillar of these stories but overall, Kalotay's characters are resilient and persevere.
All of these stories are beautiful in their own way but a few in particular stood out to me. "A Guide to Lesser Divinities" is perhaps the most tongue in cheek humor of the bunch, but still quite a sad tale. In it, college instructor Eliana is navigating grief and her own role in that loss while coming to terms with her feelings for her boyfriend and her job. Her scorn for those that abuse the English language is a highlight of the tale, and I couldn't help but be amused by Eliana's lectures to her students: "learn the difference between can and may, uninterested and disinterested, lay and lie. To deny the accuracy of one versus the other, I explained, was a first step toward moral corrosion. I told them that the degradation of language set the stage for ethical misjudgment, that our careful parsing of word choice and allusion were skills to combat despots and charlatans. That the semicolons they so blithely misused might be the last feeble shims propping up our teetering republic" (61).
In "Providence," 45-year-old Talia has a health scare while jogging that ultimately leads to her realizing the truth of her feelings for neighbor Gordie and of the singular nature of their connection: "She could let down her guard with him, could tell him anything, even her bleak, unattractive thoughts - of accumulated disappointment and small, sharp wounds, of her dubiousness about the world in general. Sometimes she even saw herself as Gordie did: her archaic qualities as exotic quirks, her chunky stereo system as "cool," and her lack of a television or streaming service as "subversive" (95). Talia's is one of the more uplifting stories in the collection and was beautiful in its reveal of a goodness emerging from something scary and bleak.
"Seeing" in which Kristin is stalked by a man while walking on an empty country road was haunting and perfectly captures the fear that I think most women can relate to of being alone and threatened by a male. And "Oblivion," the final story in the book, was yet another haunting tale, of the way Joan worked her way out of poverty and returns home to help her cousin who has slipped into dementia. The final scene of his house, with his voice echoing on the voice machine, gave me such a lonely and deeply sad feeling.
Kalotay has immense range and can beautifully capture grief, loss, mental health issues, and fear that we all inevitably face as humans. Her characters show up in cities all over the globe, with all different life stories but they share a human connection and are deeply relatable. They each contain multitudes. Told in rich, beautiful, haunting language, this was a beautiful collection, with each story somehow more moving and transforming than the last.
4.5 stars
March 6, 2023
[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Archivists releases April 15, 2023
This is a collection of 12 short stories, all with themes surrounding loss, grief, or some sort of mental health.
We meet a large variety of characters with a wide array of experiences — some whose clients are all holocaust survivors, some dealing with the loss of a family member or friend, one woman who underwent chemo treatment, a man who once was an instructor of an online writing course, a girl who had a seizure which opened up her eyes to love, etc.
“A Guide to Lesser Divinities” and “Three Times Two” were two stories that stood out to me in terms of the writing.
I really enjoyed seeing the ties between “Heartscalded” and “Egg in Aspic”, where we accompanied Laurel on her first date, who was also grieving the loss of Viv from “Heartscalded” from the reminder of the time when they set up her dating app together.
Overall this collection had a pretty cohesive narrative and each story had depth.
Thank you to NetGalley and Northwestern University Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Archivists releases April 15, 2023
This is a collection of 12 short stories, all with themes surrounding loss, grief, or some sort of mental health.
We meet a large variety of characters with a wide array of experiences — some whose clients are all holocaust survivors, some dealing with the loss of a family member or friend, one woman who underwent chemo treatment, a man who once was an instructor of an online writing course, a girl who had a seizure which opened up her eyes to love, etc.
“A Guide to Lesser Divinities” and “Three Times Two” were two stories that stood out to me in terms of the writing.
I really enjoyed seeing the ties between “Heartscalded” and “Egg in Aspic”, where we accompanied Laurel on her first date, who was also grieving the loss of Viv from “Heartscalded” from the reminder of the time when they set up her dating app together.
Overall this collection had a pretty cohesive narrative and each story had depth.
September 11, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ this is a collection of stories, but the author made me feel oh so conflicted. i liked some, hated others. ugh, the no quotations in one of the stories also drove me insane!!!!
July 22, 2023
Enjoyed these stories! Great writer.
November 30, 2022
Thank you to Northwestern University Press, TriQuarterly and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 15th, 2023
A collection of stories taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, spanning a wide array of people who all seem to be somewhat lost in their own lives (as anyone who spends time thinking about larger issues often will be). Some good reflections on self with respect to those larger issues. My favorite story was the eponymous The Archivists which introduced the concept of possible epigenetic manifestations throughout generations from an initial extreme trauma (in this case the Holocaust). One phrase really stuck with me: heart-scalded — meaning “an anguished, active, grief.” Not just grief at the loss, but “the ongoing torment of her regret.”
I admit I found many of the stories mildly depressing, though all were thoughtful and piqued my interest in some way. One made me laugh while simultaneously despair: Guide to Lesser Divinities — wherein an adjunct professor of English lectures her class on the subtle difference between similar meaning words:
“To deny the accuracy of one versus the other, I explained, was a first step toward moral corrosion. I told them how the degradation of language set the stage for ethical misjudgment, that our careful parsing of word choice and allusion were skills to combat despots and charlatans. That the semicolons they so blithely misused might be the last feeble shims propping up our teetering republic.”
And later in the same story: “To be imprecise is moral laziness. Not idleness. Not sloth. Moral laziness. It’s a matter of morality because to knowingly misuse a word is a way of lying. And deception is, of course, immoral.”
I’m not a big short story person, but I like Kalotay’s writing and each of the stories did provide insight into experiences outside of my own.
A collection of stories taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia, spanning a wide array of people who all seem to be somewhat lost in their own lives (as anyone who spends time thinking about larger issues often will be). Some good reflections on self with respect to those larger issues. My favorite story was the eponymous The Archivists which introduced the concept of possible epigenetic manifestations throughout generations from an initial extreme trauma (in this case the Holocaust). One phrase really stuck with me: heart-scalded — meaning “an anguished, active, grief.” Not just grief at the loss, but “the ongoing torment of her regret.”
I admit I found many of the stories mildly depressing, though all were thoughtful and piqued my interest in some way. One made me laugh while simultaneously despair: Guide to Lesser Divinities — wherein an adjunct professor of English lectures her class on the subtle difference between similar meaning words:
“To deny the accuracy of one versus the other, I explained, was a first step toward moral corrosion. I told them how the degradation of language set the stage for ethical misjudgment, that our careful parsing of word choice and allusion were skills to combat despots and charlatans. That the semicolons they so blithely misused might be the last feeble shims propping up our teetering republic.”
And later in the same story: “To be imprecise is moral laziness. Not idleness. Not sloth. Moral laziness. It’s a matter of morality because to knowingly misuse a word is a way of lying. And deception is, of course, immoral.”
I’m not a big short story person, but I like Kalotay’s writing and each of the stories did provide insight into experiences outside of my own.
November 2, 2023
This was a gift from a friend, and now will be the gift I give to my other friends for the holidays.
January 25, 2023
The diversity between each of these stories is remarkable. Each story completely immerses you whether it is a few paragraphs or a few pages. From lighthearted to ominous you get a taste of the whole spectrum. I won't lie, the end of 'Communicable' was almost too scary for me. But that was because the tone of the story comes through so well it has you seeing shadows too.
I loved the collection. Would definitely recommend.
I loved the collection. Would definitely recommend.
June 19, 2023
Taken together, the characters in the 12 stories in “The Archivists” are coping with imminent death, a recent death, long-ago deaths, serious accidents, a stalker, decreasing mobility, unemployment, and romantic breakups. They feel lost, and they fear looming losses. A sense of gloom hangs over many of the narratives – sometimes even physical gloom, such as the clouded sky like “a world stuffed with cotton batting” that mars a difficult mountain hike in Germany.
Yet, more often than might be expected, these beautifully crafted pieces end with a tiny spark of hope.
Many of the stories are related in third person from the point of view of a college-educated, professional woman in her thirties with tight control over her emotions. In “Providence,” Talia, a grant writer in Rhode Island, is trying to find the Good Samaritans who helped her – she thinks -- when she suffered a seizure while jogging. By contrast, Kristin, who works in her town clerk’s office in New Mexico in “Seeing,” realizes that the creepy truck driver in a blue bandana who’s following her on her evening stroll is becoming increasingly aggressive, even as her the streets around her grow dangerously emptier.
Sometimes the narrators are romantically involved with men they’re sure are wrong for them – too young, too cold, or on the autism spectrum. Occasionally, those “wrong” men turn out to be, in fact, right.
Award-winning author Daphne Kalotay can be a master of subtlety and slow surprise. In the stunning “Heart-Scalded,” she builds the backstory with a casual reference here and there that could mean nothing special. Sure, Viv considers putting on fake eyelashes as she’s dressing for a Halloween costume party. Her ex-boyfriend is at the party with his new fiancée, so it’s not surprising that a friend would ask her how she’s holding up. Until, just as casually, Kalotay notes that Viv is having trouble maneuvering her plate of food “because she was trying to keep her arms folded, to hide the bruises where the nurse struggled to insert the tube into her veins.” (The all-but-useless chemotherapy tube, that is.)
Of course, as with any collection, there are some weaker selections. “Awake” is a kind-of Rip Van Winkle tale that relies too much on suspension of disbelief, and the short “Egg in Aspic” doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
But those are the rare stumbles in this impressive book. (Adapted from my review in the “New York Journal of Books,” https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...)
Yet, more often than might be expected, these beautifully crafted pieces end with a tiny spark of hope.
Many of the stories are related in third person from the point of view of a college-educated, professional woman in her thirties with tight control over her emotions. In “Providence,” Talia, a grant writer in Rhode Island, is trying to find the Good Samaritans who helped her – she thinks -- when she suffered a seizure while jogging. By contrast, Kristin, who works in her town clerk’s office in New Mexico in “Seeing,” realizes that the creepy truck driver in a blue bandana who’s following her on her evening stroll is becoming increasingly aggressive, even as her the streets around her grow dangerously emptier.
Sometimes the narrators are romantically involved with men they’re sure are wrong for them – too young, too cold, or on the autism spectrum. Occasionally, those “wrong” men turn out to be, in fact, right.
Award-winning author Daphne Kalotay can be a master of subtlety and slow surprise. In the stunning “Heart-Scalded,” she builds the backstory with a casual reference here and there that could mean nothing special. Sure, Viv considers putting on fake eyelashes as she’s dressing for a Halloween costume party. Her ex-boyfriend is at the party with his new fiancée, so it’s not surprising that a friend would ask her how she’s holding up. Until, just as casually, Kalotay notes that Viv is having trouble maneuvering her plate of food “because she was trying to keep her arms folded, to hide the bruises where the nurse struggled to insert the tube into her veins.” (The all-but-useless chemotherapy tube, that is.)
Of course, as with any collection, there are some weaker selections. “Awake” is a kind-of Rip Van Winkle tale that relies too much on suspension of disbelief, and the short “Egg in Aspic” doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
But those are the rare stumbles in this impressive book. (Adapted from my review in the “New York Journal of Books,” https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...)
April 14, 2023
For more reviews and bookish pots please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com
The Archivists: Stories by Daphne Kalotay is a collection of 12 short stories, taking place between 2008 and the COVID era. Ms. Kalotay is an award-winning published author and educator.
I’m not a big fan of short story collections, but I’ve previously enjoyed works by Daphne Kalotay so I figured I’d give it a shot. The stories in The Archivists focus on relationships after some sort of a life-changing event has happened. These events could be something personal, like crumbling relationships, or a worldwide pandemic. Most, if not all, of the stories, show the characters attempting to pick up their lives after a loss.
These stories are well-written and are different from one another. They do not take place at the same time, or place, with nothing connecting them like other collections I have previously read. These stories, however, are certainly relatable.
Each story has its own depth and consistent narrative. Even though these are short, they are full of insight, not only into the characters’ experiences, but they are cognizant of the experiences of those around them.
I thought the stories which dealt with grief and loss were very interesting, but there’s one that captured my attention. This was about a Holocaust survivor and the passing on of trauma to future generations. Whether this is genetic, psychological, or both are currently being studied and I, for one, find the subject extremely interesting.
Since this is a collection of stories, giving the book a star rating is really not applicable. I did really enjoy reading it, much more than I tough I would.
The Archivists: Stories by Daphne Kalotay is a collection of 12 short stories, taking place between 2008 and the COVID era. Ms. Kalotay is an award-winning published author and educator.
I’m not a big fan of short story collections, but I’ve previously enjoyed works by Daphne Kalotay so I figured I’d give it a shot. The stories in The Archivists focus on relationships after some sort of a life-changing event has happened. These events could be something personal, like crumbling relationships, or a worldwide pandemic. Most, if not all, of the stories, show the characters attempting to pick up their lives after a loss.
These stories are well-written and are different from one another. They do not take place at the same time, or place, with nothing connecting them like other collections I have previously read. These stories, however, are certainly relatable.
Each story has its own depth and consistent narrative. Even though these are short, they are full of insight, not only into the characters’ experiences, but they are cognizant of the experiences of those around them.
I thought the stories which dealt with grief and loss were very interesting, but there’s one that captured my attention. This was about a Holocaust survivor and the passing on of trauma to future generations. Whether this is genetic, psychological, or both are currently being studied and I, for one, find the subject extremely interesting.
Since this is a collection of stories, giving the book a star rating is really not applicable. I did really enjoy reading it, much more than I tough I would.
September 27, 2023
Daphne Kalotay uses a series of twelve short stories of loss, mental health, indecision, difficult choices, a potential assault, and a slow death from cancer to sensitively highlight very specific story details in a way that an author can't always attend to in a novel. She introduces us to several painful stories and pained characters, from the social worker helping elderly Holocaust Survivors, who struggles with an insurmountable loss of his own, to a research experiment about epigenetics spanning decades, to the personal and work struggles of a college academic, to a man who we learn recently underwent ECT therapy and is literally lost, and many others including struggles with living through an ongoing pandemic with limited romantic choices. This is not a short story series for the faint of heart. Kalotay delves into the underbelly of life due to age, mortality, health and mental health issues, a limited income, a pandemic, what it means to be a vulnerable woman alone in the world going for a run, what it means to be an almost 40 year old woman who may want to have a child. In doing so she keeps us engaged and curious, as she makes the hardships and loneliness of this world come alive in ways we may not alway choose to contemplate, but which are quite real for many people and further expand our empathy and compassion for others. For those interested in understanding more about an array of difficult challenges humans must face, which are beautifully written about in a riveting and graceful manner, I would highly recommend this book.
April 3, 2024
This was a phenomenal collection of stories. Every individual story absorbs the reader into the world inhabited by the characters. Many of the stories centered on grief and tragic occurrences; however, there was also stories of love, regrets, fear, and life's purpose. One even was inspired by "Rip Van Winkle" and another spoke of life with family in the mafia. It covered a range---I noticed that many of the stories took place in the Northeast, and I'm 85% positive that the author hails from that region. Not all of the stories, but a majority. I noticed a theme of some Millennial POV, but it turns out that the author is Gen X. There's also a theme of residual trauma in bloodlines (specifically stemming from the Holocaust for Jewish folks) and romantic resentment (peek "Communicable" and "Three Times Two"). Many thanks to LFPL for carrying the title and having it featured, otherwise I would've missed out on this incredible collection of stories. Normally, I would pick favorites but I felt like they all were stand-outs. I can't pick one above others, due to the varying nature and the high caliber of them all. Recommended for those that like Kelly Link, the Northeast, themes of familial trauma, melancholy + pensive moods, and hints of speculative fiction.
April 24, 2023
Five stars for Kalotay's The Archivists. Themes of memory and loss abound--from the opening story, Relativity, which follows a social worker helping Holocaust survivors while dealing with his own loss, to the final story, Oblivion, in which memory itself is lost. The stories capture human relationships and desires, often in difficult moments--at a party with an ex who's now engaged to another woman, on a mountain trek where relationships end but no one can walk away, or in pandemic lockdown. Kalotay deftly depicts human complexity as well as both the honesty and dishonesty in ourselves and our relationships. Beautifully written, deeply moving, and memorable.
September 17, 2023
On another day I would give this 3 stars instead. But the author does some amazing things. One of my problems/issues is that these are not exactly women's stories but stories were a woman is at the pivot point or the fork in the road and sometimes I just dont get it. Still the workmanship is amazing and she presents some fascinating tales.
I found the story titled, "Communicable" especially difficult to figure out. I have read it twice and the first time I didnt get it at all. The second time I got a sense of what the author is driving at but I still feel I am missing something but am not sure what exactly.
I found the story titled, "Communicable" especially difficult to figure out. I have read it twice and the first time I didnt get it at all. The second time I got a sense of what the author is driving at but I still feel I am missing something but am not sure what exactly.
January 23, 2024
this took a minute to get into but oh man… that last story was gutting. this is one where the second half made me so glad I kept reading. favorites were oblivion (ouch), seeing (made my stomach hurt), awake (love a rip van winkle reference), vertigo (the reveal!), and three times two (hopefully not going to be my German hiking experience)
Read
February 9, 2023This collection of short stories is going to be a great book for some. I am an archivist which led me to want to read this book. It didn’t really keep my attention but I am still thankful for the opportunity to read it. Thank you NetGalley!
Want to read
April 13, 2023she wrote a nice article about short stories for LitHub
https://lithub.com/on-the-outsize-pow...
got me interested in reading her collection.
https://lithub.com/on-the-outsize-pow...
got me interested in reading her collection.
July 12, 2023
Very moving short story collection
August 29, 2023
I loved the first story relativity - stayed with me , aching and yet tender and funny .
December 31, 2023
Deliciously dark stories for rainy day.
Kalotay delivers with her short fiction.
Kalotay delivers with her short fiction.
January 24, 2024
Alot of trauma themes, it's good but a little depressing if that's not what you're looking for
June 5, 2024
*3.5 stars.
"The flowers, blue hydrangeas, are a gift for her birthday. Big plump periwinkle clusters, like outrageous pompoms" (48).
"Through the warbled glass of the windows..." (113).
"The flowers, blue hydrangeas, are a gift for her birthday. Big plump periwinkle clusters, like outrageous pompoms" (48).
"Through the warbled glass of the windows..." (113).
March 16, 2023
This collection of short stories by Daphne Kalotay was a welcome break between longer books. I typical use short stories as sort of a palate cleanser between novels, and it's a treat when a short story collection holds up and I find myself reading more than just one at a time!
The works deal with grief and loss and carry some weight, while still having some amusing moments. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The works deal with grief and loss and carry some weight, while still having some amusing moments. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews