Corinna Vallianatos Libros

"..A boy's desperate act of rebellion against his grandmother reverberates outward, causing rifts and reckonings in the lives of others: a man fleeing his own troubled family who becomes the grandson's unwitting accomplice; a poet struggling with the limitations of language and his wife's distance; the proprieter of a dying motel; and the grandmother herself, who finds love for the first time as she recuperates from her injury. Set in the Mojave Desert and the suburbs of Southern California, this revelatory novel moves swiftly among characters caught between the deprivations of the past and the mysteries of the future. With unflinching precision and stunning prose, Vallianatos unearths the vulnerability and volatility at our cores."--Provided by publisher.

Exploring the complexities of women's lives, the stories delve into themes of memory, longing, and the quest for autonomy. Characters navigate their inner worlds, confronting emotions tied to marriage, friendship, and family. A girl cherishes the ordinary during a school test, while a young woman escapes her illness by switching roles with her nurse. A college student enlists her charming roommate to infiltrate a male club, and a nursing home resident receives poignant letters from a past lover, revealing the enduring impact of love and memory.