Shortlisted for the National Book Award: "Joan Silber writes with wisdom, humor, grace, and wry intelligence. Her characters bear welcome news of how we will survive." -- Andrea Barrett
Intense in subject yet restrained in tone, these stories are about longings -- often held for years -- and the ways in which sex and religion can become parallel forms of dedication and comfort. Though the stories stand alone, a minor element in one becomes major in the next. In "My Shape", a woman is taunted by her dance coach, who later suffers his own heartache. A Venetian poet of the 1500s, another storyteller, is introduced to a modern traveler reading Rilke. His story precedes a mesmerizing narrative of missionaries in China. In the final story, Giles, born to a priesthood family, leans toward Buddhism after a grievous loss, and in time falls in love with the dancer of the first story. So deft and subtle is Joan Silber with these various perspectives that we come full circle surprised and enchanted by her myriad worlds. National Book Award finalist. Reading group guide included.

• We started tracking this book on September 20, 2011.
• This book was $8.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 54 times in the past 5,058 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 11 hours ago.
• The lowest price to date was $2.99 last reached on July 24, 2025.
• This book has been $2.99 4 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $17.99 last reached on June 21, 2025.
• This book has been $17.99 3 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionContemporary FictionAmerican
• Literature & FictionUnited StatesUnited States
• Literature & FictionShort StoriesShort Stories
• Literature & FictionUnited States

• Publication Date: April 25, 2025
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 251 Pages
• File Size: 30 KB