In Clea Young’s arresting sophomore collection of stories, friendships fail, families stumble, and neighbours know each other’s business
Distinctly rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Young’s characters make their marks and take their missteps on the beaches, in the mountains and neighbourhoods in and around Vancouver, BC. A couple spontaneously invite their new neighbours to dinner and the night takes a menacing turn. A widow seeks solace and revenge on the mountain bike trails behind her home. And an overwhelmed single mother moves into a housing cooperative the same summer two teenage boys are on the run, wanted for murder.
The women in these stories crave connection but often get in their own way of achieving it. They are stubborn, jealous, and stuck. They are misunderstood—and misunderstand—and lonely. They are also perceptive and empathetic. In prose that sparks and spits, by turns poetic and plain, Young writes assuredly of loneliness and connection, love and loss, fear and fortitude, and perhaps most evocatively of the labyrinthine inner lives of women.
In Clea Young’s arresting sophomore collection of stories, friendships fail, families stumble, and neighbours know each other’s business
Distinctly rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Young’s characters make their marks and take their missteps on the beaches, in the mountains and neighbourhoods in and around Vancouver, BC. A couple spontaneously invite their new neighbours to dinner and the night takes a menacing turn. A widow seeks solace and revenge on the mountain bike trails behind her home. And an overwhelmed single mother moves into a housing cooperative the same summer two teenage boys are on the run, wanted for murder.
The women in these stories crave connection but often get in their own way of achieving it. They are stubborn, jealous, and stuck. They are misunderstood—and misunderstand—and lonely. They are also perceptive and empathetic. In prose that sparks and spits, by turns poetic and plain, Young writes assuredly of loneliness and connection, love and loss, fear and fortitude, and perhaps most evocatively of the labyrinthine inner lives of women.
| Published By | House of Anansi Press Inc — May 6, 2025 |
| Specifications | 256 pages | 5.5 in x 7 in |
| Written By |
CLEA YOUNG’s stories have been included in numerous literary journals, three volumes of The Journey Prize Stories, and Best Canadian Stories 2025. She has twice been longlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize. Her debut story collection, Teardown, was published by Freehand Books. Young grew up in up in Victoria, BC, and completed an MFA at the University of British Columbia. She lives in Squamish, BC. |
| Written By |
|
CLEA YOUNG’s stories have been included in numerous literary journals, three volumes of The Journey Prize Stories, and Best Canadian Stories 2025. She has twice been longlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize. Her debut story collection, Teardown, was published by Freehand Books. Young grew up in up in Victoria, BC, and completed an MFA at the University of British Columbia. She lives in Squamish, BC. |
“These stories are so sly, funny, and perceptive … Clea Young is an astute and compassionate chronicler of contemporary life.” —Caroline Adderson, author of A Way to Be Happy and A Russian Sister
”“Hilarious, riveting, quietly beautiful. These stories will sneak up to snare you with their power.” —Shaena Lambert, author of Petra and Oh, My Darling
”“A powerhouse collection that … brims with insight and thrums with unexpected danger … Clea Young proves again she is a master of the short story.” —Saleema Nawaz, author of Songs for the End of the World
”“A pure pleasure to read! These stories are beautifully constructed and intensely intelligent … Short fiction at its best.” —Deborah Willis, author of Girlfriend on Mars
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