Truthtelling

Book excerpt: “A grab bag of realist and experimental stories, each one a treasure . . . Wise, wry, and witty—theses stories in all their stylistic variations are perfect.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review A man generously lends his car to his ex-wife, and is bewildered when she not only neglects to return it but makes increasingly implausible excuses for her actions. A neat and orderly clothing store owner is taken in and manipulated by an ailing elderly neighbor. A wife left by her husband for a younger woman is forced to visit the couple in order to see her children—and makes a startling realization about her former spouse. In these stories and others, including an O. Henry Award winner and a Best American Short Stories selection, National Book Award finalist Lynne Sharon Schwartz presents readers with a cast of indefatigable New Yorkers whose long-established routines are disrupted by mishaps or swerves of fate. “Meticulously crafted . . . This first-rate collection demonstrates why Schwartz remains an American literary treasure.” —Publishers Weekly