You Should Pity Us Instead - Softcover

Gustine, Amy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1941411193 ISBN 13: 9781941411193

Publisher: Sarabande Books, 2016

Synopsis

Marked by a sure grasp of unusual subject matter and unfurling in gorgeous prose, the stories in You Should Pity Us Instead explore some of our toughest dilemmas: the cost of Middle East strife at its most intimate level, the likelihood of God considered in day to day terms, the moral stakes of family obligations, and the inescapable fact of mortality. Also, fundamentally, love in its many guises--family, romantic, friendship--each ensnared by rigorous demands and responsibilities. In the scary and heartbreaking "All theSons of Cain," an Israeli woman sneaks into Gaza to reclaim her captive son from militants. In the title story, two families--one Atheist, the other Christian--confront the limits of their beliefs. "Goldene Medene" takes us to 19th century Ellis Island, where a doctor evaluates immigrants and, in blue chalk, marks his life-changing verdicts on their backs.  Amy Gustine exhibits anextraordinary generosity toward her characters, instilling them with a thriving, vivid presence. You Should Pity Us Instead presents an artist of dynamic and capacious vision, one who can delineate the heart's most strenuous knots, and one capable of inhabiting most any life, no matter how disparate or obscure.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Gustine excels at dramatizing the cunning of the human animal--a creature renowned for its skill at self-sabotage--as well as celebrating the freakish grace that can sometimes strike an ordinary life." --Karen Russell "What's most intriguing about Amy Gustine's stories is that they come at you from all angles, glinting with unexpected flashes of wisdom." --Rosellen Brown "A set of marvels....Profound and moving works of art." --Lawrence Coates "Brave, essential, thrilling, each story in You Should Pity Us Instead takes us to those places we've never dared visit before." --Ben Stroud "Amy Gustine's new collection is packed with the kind of action we might expect from thrillers or dreams....You Should Pity Us Instead is an unbroken spell from first story to last." --Laura Kasischke "The Stories are fearless; Gustine will surprise you with her ability to empathize with a great cast of characters, while she shines a light on some of the more painful corners of our world." --Jane McCafferty

About the Author:

Amy Gustine's short fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, North American Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Chicago Tribune's Printers Row Journal, and many others. You Should Pity Us Instead was a finalist for the Ohioana Book Award in Fiction. Gustine is also the recipient of an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council. She lives in Ohio.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sarabande Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1941411193
• ISBN 13: 9781941411193
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256