"There is not a single dud in this brilliant collection…crisp stories about marriage, blood, booze and death and the wayward passions fomented by them . "— Time Out From joyous moments to near insurmountable grief, National Book Award-winning author Ellen Gilchrist gives readers vignettes revealing the lives of some of her most memorable characters. In "Traceleen at Dawn," we see the wealthy Miss Crystal finally give up drinking after a fire consumes her home. In "1941," readers meet Rhoda Manning, a precocious nine-year-old facing off with the world of adults for the first time. In "The Last Diet," a woman on a diet crashes her car into a doughnut shop. And murder takes center stage in "Memphis" and "The Emancipator." Coming of age, heartbreak, death, and more permeate these brilliant snapshots of life from the author of the award-winning Victory over Japan , Acts of God , and other acclaimed works. "Smart, funny, moving, and elegantly written."— Vogue "A writer with a distinctive voice and a considerable narrative gift."— Publishers Weekly "There is not a single dud in this brilliant collection. The crisp stories about marriage, blood, booze and death and the wayward passions fomented by them."— Time Out