Survival Rates

by Mary Clyde

Winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. "Finely crafted short fiction that explores the aftermath of life-threatening events. . . . Sculpted prose." ―Booklist Mary Clyde’s stories explore not so much what has happened already but what happens next. Illness bristles through the book, magnifying emotional undercurrents: two teenage girls survive surgery and the prospect of never eating popcorn again; the stoicism of a husband with cancer infuriates his wife. Set in the desert Southwest, these stories show the influence of a landscape populated with cat-eating coyotes and car-crushing boulders. The characters are relative newcomers, some sharing the author’s Mormon heritage. But they are survivors, relying on the ironies and blessings of ongoing life.

Genres: Short Stories

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

But, I'm totally biased--the author is my mom.

[Burnettkw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Clyde really understands illness, grief, and loss and portrays it beautifully in the characters’ complex reactions.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Survival Rates by Mary Clyde is a collection of stories linked by tragedies occurring in the desert Southwest. Rich in heart and characters shaped not so much by their tragedies but by their responses to them, Survival Rates relies upon the resilience love (sometimes tough) offers individuals in difficult situations. The human condition here is built upon irony and threaded with many blessings, not the least of which is the author's wit and her ability to transform our concept of tragedy with hope.

Not an image or a word is without impact or relationship to story in Mary Clyde's fine-wrought, clear, and engaging prose. In the end, the reader finds Survival Rates uplifting.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok collection of short stories. Mostly the stories presented what seemed like a snapshot view of a character - no real start or end to the story, just a glimpse at a character. Alright, not great.

[Darlene Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clyde is, or was at one time, LDS.

[Sara]

flannery o'connor award for short fiction