New Releases by Amy Bloom

An epic and powerfully intimate novel about an unconventional and irresistible family—from the New York Times bestselling author of In Love, White Houses, and Away Immigrating alone from Paris to New York after the crucible of World War II, Gazala Benamar, still a teenager, becomes fast friends with two spirited sisters, Anne and Alma. When Gazala’s lost, beloved brother, Samir, finally joins her in Manhattan, this contentious, inseparable foursome, will last into the twenty-first century, becoming the beating heart of a multigenerational found family. These decades are marked by the business of everyday life and the inevitable surprises of erupting passions, great and small waves of joy and despair, from the beginning of life, to its end. Gazala and Samir make a home together, Alma loses a baby, Anne leaves her husband for his sister, and Anne’s restless daughter grows up to raise a child on her own and join a throuple, becoming who she wanted to be. Through it all, and the history of the these decades, the four friends, and their best beloveds, stand by one another, protecting, annoying and celebrating each other, steadfastly unapologetic about their authentic desires and the unorthodox family they have created. As the next generation falls in and out of love, experiencing life''s triumphs, mistakes and disappointments, the central pillars of their lives are the indomitable, hilarious people they call “the Greats”. In I’ll Be Right Here, Amy Bloom embraces the complexity and richness of humanity, the lawlessness of love, bringing her trademark voice, wry humor, and compassionate eye to the many, often mysterious ways we evolve as we love—and as we hope to be loved in return.

[ 伴侶之間原本無可奉告的勇氣道別 ] 他不只一次說：「我寧可站著死，也不願跪著活。」 他已經要我開始尋找方法。 「請把這一切寫下來。」我丈夫說。 ▲ ★美國亞馬遜2022年三月選書 ★《今日美國》冬季最期待好書 ★《歐普拉雜誌》2022年最期待好書 ★美國華裔女作家譚恩美、美國當代作家和編劇麥可．康寧漢盛情推薦 ◆本書賣點 ◆入圍美國圖書獎的暢銷作家艾美．布魯姆述說丈夫布萊恩向生命告別的過程。布萊恩因罹患阿茲海默症，決定遠赴瑞士的「尊嚴」機構，以人道方式結束生命。這本回憶錄使人心碎和難過，卻同時充滿愛、幽默和喜悅。 ◆這不僅是一部回憶錄，更揭示了悲劇性的疾病，以及不受歡迎、但可以理解的決定。書中意味著無條件地照顧別人，同時讓你在準備好之際好好說再見。 ◆內容簡介 艾美‧布魯姆漸漸發現丈夫布萊恩的各種改變，比方提早從一份他熱愛的工作退休、疏遠親近的朋友、話題多半繞著往事打轉。突然間，兩人之間彷彿隔著一片玻璃，無法再像過去一樣彼此陪伴和深入長談。從核磁共振結果證實布萊恩確診阿茲海默症的那一刻起，他們再也無法逃避擺在眼前的事實，兩人的世界從此改變。 這樣的診斷結果，徹底打亂布萊恩原本想像的未來。被迫面對現實的布萊恩決定，他寧可站著死，也不要跪著活。兩人相互扶持走過最後的人生旅程，並做出一個無比艱難而痛苦的決定——前往瑞士的「尊嚴」（Dignitas），在這個幫助人平靜而有尊嚴地結束生命的非營利機構安樂死。 在這部令人心碎也難以想像的回憶錄中，布魯姆深入我們往往避而不談的人生片段，也就是生命的終點。她以動人而敏銳的筆觸，還有她特有的幽默風趣和坦率直言，描繪出一段令人難忘的幸福婚姻，以及打破疆界的愛。 名人推薦 江盛 衛福部台東醫院婦產科醫師 吳佳璇 精神科醫師、失智父親的女兒 李茂生 國立台灣大學法律學院名譽教授 紀岳良 律師、諮商心理師 張卉君 作家 畢柳鶯 醫師、《斷食善終》作者 許菁芳 作家 陳乃菁 老年醫學專家、醫師（專文推薦） 陳偉霖 《十年後我還在寫遺書》作者 陳耀昌 醫師、作家 楊月娥 資深媒體人、資深照顧者 劉秀枝 國內失智症領航人、台北榮總特約醫師（專文推薦） 劉紹華 醫療人類學家 蘇絢慧 諮商心理師 尊嚴推薦 各界佳評 理應是一個撕心裂肺的哀傷故事，但是作者艾美‧布魯姆用慧黠、冷靜、幽默的文字，把它寫成了一個悲喜劇、懸疑劇，高潮迭起又充滿了苦澀的美感。──畢柳鶯，醫師／《斷食善終》作者 關於失智者的醫療決策、法律，乃至於死亡權的主張，始終是嚴肅的倫理與社會議題。作者的親身經歷，雖不符合台灣與其居住地的法律規範，卻帶給我們深深的觸動與省思。──吳佳璇，精神科醫師／失智父親的女兒 在《死亡與生命手記》讀到的安樂死的一個小部分不足之處，在這本書中可以看到更完整關於安樂死的紀錄。主題雖然沉重，卻因為愛而變成一個美好的故事。──陳乃菁，老年醫學專家／醫師 人無法決定自己的降生，卻有機會安排想要如何離世。作者艾美‧布魯姆帶我們穿越愛別離的浩瀚旅程，看見死亡如此孤獨，然而生命之旅有人願意陪伴和理解，得以在愛中告別，是最大的祝福。——張卉君，作家 布魯姆極具揉合深淺和雅俗的天分，因此儘管本書的主題沉重無比，讀來卻別有一番樂趣。少有探討死亡的回憶錄如此充滿生命力。——《今日美國》 《在愛之中告別》有如所有探討死亡的偉大著作，不以怵目驚心的數據和警語恐嚇讀者，反而除去安樂死的污名，使讀者更加珍愛和感謝自己擁有的生命。縱使一成不變的生活令人麻木，人到中年也因此鬱鬱寡歡，這本書卻喚醒了我們能跟心愛的人相守相伴的喜悅。——《華盛頓郵報》 我不知道自己為什麼到現在才讀布魯姆的小說……錯過她的作品是我的損失。一個溫暖、通透、對人世又愛又恨，而且筆調收放自如的紐約之聲，令人想起羅莉‧科爾溫（Laurie Colwin）、斯蓉‧克羅斯利（Sloane Crosley）、阿萊格拉‧古德曼（Allegra Goodman）和諾拉‧艾芙倫（Nora Ephron）。——德懷特‧迦納（Dwight Garner），《紐約時報》 讀這本書完完全全是一種超越自我的經驗。《在愛之中告別》這部作品美得驚心，銳眼透視愛、生命與死亡，更可貴的是點出三者如何密不可分。讀完你肯定會感到心痛、不安，同時也會覺得心被打開，充滿希望。——麥可‧康寧漢（Michael Cunningham），著有《時時刻刻》和《末世之家》 我在一趟長途飛行中一口氣讀完這本書，第一次覺得航程快得不可思議。這本重要的回憶錄令我肅然起敬。作者的精湛文筆讓我們深陷其中，並在最後一頁使我們宛如新生。——譚恩美（Amy Tan），《喜福會》作者 《在愛之中告別》記錄了一對夫妻遇到的天大難關，是一部活潑輕快且令人著迷的回憶錄。作者坦承無諱地呈現兩人的婚姻生活，透過深情的眼睛描寫她認識的另一半，也記下她看著他逐漸遠去的痛苦煎熬。兩人對安樂死的堅定立場，譜成了一個充滿生命力的故事。——艾莉森‧貝克爾德（Alison Bechdel），《歡樂之家》作者 深愛自己的伴侶，對生命的盡頭既好奇也憂慮的人，絕不能錯過這本美麗的著作。深刻、有趣、慈悲，最終也讓人獲得救贖。很好哭，而且是最美好的那種。——艾倫‧狄波頓（Alain de Botton），《愛的進化論》作者 美國最傑出的作家之一交出的精彩作品……主題是死亡，因此結局無可避免指向死亡，但布魯姆筆下的故事充滿意外和驚喜，還有你讀過最誠實、最風趣，也最令人心痛的文字。——愛爾蘭作家羅迪‧道爾（Roddy Doyle） 這則閃閃發光的愛情故事和善終指引是一部不能錯過的見證……讀過將永生難忘；若是你忘了，但願親近的人會替你記得。——《科克斯書評》星級推薦 深刻動人地描繪出，愛在生命最艱困的時候會如何顯現。——《出版者週刊》推薦

From celebrated and best-selling author Amy Bloom comes a jubilant story of self-love, individuality, and gender expression. Nicki’s favorite aunt is getting married, and Nicki is excited to be the Flower Girl: she is all in for love and pretty petals. But when the family goes shopping to find outfits for the wedding, Nicki doesn’t feel like herself in any of the dresses her mom and aunt pick out for her, and all her happiness and excitement for the wedding evaporates. Nicki must find her voice—and her own style of expression to match it—to make Aunt Carmela’s big day absolutely perfect. Infused with intelligence and charm and complemented by art by Jameela Wahlgren that’s as warm and tender as a hug, Flower Girl celebrates the magic of finding the clothes that help us shine.

De wereld van Amy Bloom en haar man Brian verandert voorgoed wanneer een MRI-scan een waarheid bevestigt die ze niet langer kunnen negeren. Geconfronteerd met de diagnose Alzheimer besluit Brian dat hij ‘in het harnas’ wil sterven en niet als een schaduw van zichzelf. In liefde is een openhartig, humoristisch en aangrijpend portret van een grootse liefde en een moedig afscheid. ‘Een onmisbare getuigenis. Je zult dit boek nooit vergeten.’ – Kirkus Reviews ‘Een prachtig portret van hoe liefde zich in de moeilijkste momenten van het leven kan openbaren.’ – Publishers Weekly ‘In Liefde is een opwindend mooi, vlijmscherp boek over liefde, het leven en sterfelijkheid [...].’ – Michael Cunningham ‘Een prachtig en onmisbaar boek voor iedereen die zielsveel van zijn partner houdt en zich afvraagt hoe het einde eruit gaat zien: schrijnend, lief, grappig en verlossend.’ – Alain de Botton Over Witte huizen: ‘Een verbluffend portret over de liefde.’ – Publishers Weekly ‘Een schitterend dubbelportret. Een monumentje, opgericht voor een verborgen romance.’ – Het Parool ‘Witte huizen combineert actualiteit en politiek, roddel en romance in een knappe roman waarin uiteindelijk de liefde zegeviert.’ – De Telegraaf

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful memoir of a love that leads two people to find a courageous way to part—and a woman’s struggle to go forward in the face of loss—that “enriches the reader’s life with urgency and gratitude” (The Washington Post) “A pleasure to read . . . Rarely has a memoir about death been so full of life. . . . Bloom has a talent for mixing the prosaic and profound, the slapstick and the serious.”—USA Today ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Publishers Weekly ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Today, Real Simple, Prospect (UK), She Reads, Kirkus Reviews Amy Bloom began to notice changes in her husband, Brian: He retired early from a new job he loved; he withdrew from close friendships; he talked mostly about the past. Suddenly, it seemed there was a glass wall between them, and their long walks and talks stopped. Their world was altered forever when an MRI confirmed what they could no longer ignore: Brian had Alzheimer’s disease. Forced to confront the truth of the diagnosis and its impact on the future he had envisioned, Brian was determined to die on his feet, not live on his knees. Supporting each other in their last journey together, Brian and Amy made the unimaginably difficult and painful decision to go to Dignitas, an organization based in Switzerland that empowers a person to end their own life with dignity and peace. In this heartbreaking and surprising memoir, Bloom sheds light on a part of life we so often shy away from discussing—its ending. Written in Bloom’s captivating, insightful voice and with her trademark wit and candor, In Love is an unforgettable portrait of a beautiful marriage, and a boundary-defying love. Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize

» Großartige Unterhaltung. « – Elle Washington, 1932: Die junge Reporterin Lorena Hickok reist in die Hauptstadt, um in der heißen Phase des Wahlkampfs um das Präsidentenamt regelmäßig Einblicke ins Leben des Kandidaten Franklin D. Roosevelt und seiner Frau Eleanor zu liefern. Als Roosevelt wenige Monate später das Rennen für sich entscheidet, zieht "Hick" ebenfalls ins Weiße Haus ein – und wird zur Geliebten der First Lady. Eine wahre Geschichte über zwei besondere Frauen mitten im Machtzentrum der USA.

For readers of The Paris Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue comes a “sensuous, captivating account of a forbidden affair between two women” (People)—Eleanor Roosevelt and “first friend” Lorena Hickok. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Financial Times • San Francisco Chronicle • New York Public Library • Refinery29 • Real Simple Lorena Hickok meets Eleanor Roosevelt in 1932 while reporting on Franklin Roosevelt’s first presidential campaign. Having grown up worse than poor in South Dakota and reinvented herself as the most prominent woman reporter in America, “Hick,” as she’s known to her friends and admirers, is not quite instantly charmed by the idealistic, patrician Eleanor. But then, as her connection with the future first lady deepens into intimacy, what begins as a powerful passion matures into a lasting love, and a life that Hick never expected to have. She moves into the White House, where her status as “first friend” is an open secret, as are FDR’s own lovers. After she takes a job in the Roosevelt administration, promoting and protecting both Roosevelts, she comes to know Franklin not only as a great president but as a complicated rival and an irresistible friend, capable of changing lives even after his death. Through it all, even as Hick’s bond with Eleanor is tested by forces both extraordinary and common, and as she grows as a woman and a writer, she never loses sight of the love of her life. From Washington, D.C. to Hyde Park, from a little white house on Long Island to an apartment on Manhattan’s Washington Square, White Houses moves elegantly through fascinating places and times, written in compelling prose and with emotional depth, wit, and acuity.

‘Ik ben nooit jaloers geweest op een echtgenoot of een echtgenote, tot ik Eleanor leerde kennen. Vanaf dat moment zou ik alles wat ik ooit had gehad, ieder ritje in een limousine, ieder naakt zwempartijtje, iedere naamsvermelding of onbezorgde wandeling, hebben geruild voor wat Franklin had, de polio incluis.’ Lorena Hickok ontmoet Eleanor Roosevelt in 1932 als verslaggeefster van Franklin Roosevelts eerste verkiezingscampagne. ‘Hick’, zoals haar vrienden haar noemen, is in gruwelijke armoede opgegroeid in South Dakota en heeft zich opgewerkt tot belangrijkste vrouwelijke journaliste in Amerika. In eerste instantie moet ze weinig hebben van de idealistische Eleanor, die uit een gegoed milieu komt. Toch bloeit er een grote passie op, die bestand blijkt tegen de jaren. Hick neemt zelfs haar intrek in het Witte Huis, haar status als ‘first friend’ is daar publiek geheim, net als het bestaan van meerdere minnaressen van FDR. Nu ze niet meer als journalist kan werken, treedt ze toe tot de presidentiële staf. Hick leert FDR kennen als een geweldige president, een gewiekste rivaal en een onweerstaanbare vriend, iemand die zelfs tot ver na zijn dood levens blijft beïnvloeden. De band tussen Hick en Eleanor doorstaat alle krachten die op hen inwerken. Terwijl Hick groeit, als schrijver en als mens, verliest ze nooit de liefde van haar leven uit het oog. Een elegante en lyrische roman, die vele kanten van Amerika en van de liefde laat zien. ‘Een opmerkelijk intieme en tegelijk informatieve roman over de geheime en scandaleuze liefde van Eleanor Roosevelt.’ – Joyce Carol Oates

1924. Fuyant la Russie après le massacre de sa famille lors d''un pogrom, Lilian Leyb, vingt-deux ans, débarque à New York. Elle loue un demi-matelas dans un appartement surpeuplé et pouilleux du Lower East Side, souffle un travail de couturière dans un théâtre yiddish à une file de candidates, et, brûlant d''apprendre l''anglais, se récite des litanies de synonymes (petit ami : soupirant, jules, roméo), tirés du thésaurus offert par son ami Yaakov, tailleur, acteur, dramaturge – et Pygmalion. Mais le jour où Lilian découvre que sa fille, Sophie, serait encore en vie quelque part en Sibérie, elle n''a plus qu''une obsession : la retrouver. Elle part, une carte de l''Ouest américain cousue dans son manteau, pour un périple qui commence dans un réduit du train express de Chicago. Et le conte traditionnel de l''immigrant va se métamorphoser en aventure d''exil, des bas-fonds du Jazz District de Seattle jusqu''au sauvage Alaska et au Yukon des trappeurs... " Un triomphe littéraire (..) un page-turner, un classique, un extraordinaire moment de lecture. " - The New York Times

Un jour, Eva et Iris découvrent par hasard qu’elles sont demi-sœurs et que leur père a entretenu en secret deux familles. Le choc fait voler leur passé en éclats. Pour trouver un nouveau sens à leurs vies, elles décident, ensemble, de partir à l’aventure. Iris ambitionne de faire du cinéma, tandis qu’Eva veut simplement profiter pleinement de ce que peut offrir la vie. Dans l’Amérique des années 40, les deux demi-sœurs refont le monde à Hollywood, dans les clubs de jazz de New York et les riches demeures de Long Island. Au fil des rencontres, elles partagent tout et font l’apprentissage d’une nouvelle vie, entre leurs aspirations, les scandales, les trahisons, et la guerre. Avec toujours une conviction : malgré l’absurdité et la fragilité de l’existence, tout finit toujours par aller mieux... « Un chef d’œuvre. » (New York Times).

Amy Bloom has long been regarded as a master of the short story form. Here, her brilliance shines across two decades and more than twenty-five stories. From the bereaved widow who finds unexpected comfort in ''Sleepwalking'', to the matchmaking shrink in ''Psychoanalysis Changed My Life''; from the teenage girl furious at her dying mother in ''Hold Tight'' to the transgressive lovers of ''The Gates Are Closing''; from the married friends irresistibly drawn to one another in ''William and Clare'' to the brave and heartless girl in ''Permafrost'' - these are stories brimming with life and grief, erotically charged and beautifully crafted.

`De vrouw van mijn vader was dood. Mijn moeder zei dat we de auto naar zijn huis moesten nemen om te kijken wat er voor ons te halen viel. Twee halfzusjes, tieners, trekken door het Amerika van de jaren veertig richting Hollywood en op zoek naar... alles. Iris is geboren voor de schijnwerpers, Eva beperkt zich (maar met liefde) tot het naaien van glitters op de kostuums van haar zus. Een Hollywoodcarrière wordt in de kiem gesmoord als Iris verwikkeld raakt in een lesbisch seksschandaal. Samen zoeken de zusjes verder hun weg door een prachtig getekend landschap van grote dromen, schandalen en verraad. Van jazzclubs, fonkelende villa s en, natuurlijk, oorlog. Een prachtig en kleurrijk verhaal met onvergetelijke personages, toonbeelden van de breekbare, absurde menselijke soort.

Forging a life together after being abandoned by their parents, half sisters Eva and Iris share decades in and out of the spotlight in golden-era Hollywood and mid-twentieth-century Long Island. My father''s wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us. So begins the story of teenage half sisters Eva and Iris in this brilliantly written, deeply moving, and fantastically funny novel by the beloved and critically acclaimed author of Away. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star, and Eva, the sidekick, journey across 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris''s ambitions take the sisters from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island. With their friends in high and low places, Iris and Eva stumble and shine through a landscape of big dreams, scandals, betrayals, and war. Filled with memorable characters and unexpected turns, Lucky Us is a thrilling and resonant novel about success and failure, good luck and bad, and the pleasures and inevitable perils of family life. From Brooklyn''s beauty parlors to London''s West End, these unforgettable people love, lie, cheat, and survive in this story of our fragile, absurd, heroic species.

This is a collection of short stories by some of the best known writers in the world in which ''here'' is explored through experiences of ''elsewhere''.

A sharp and funny, rueful, and uncompromisingly real tale of growing up—from National Book Award finalist Amy Bloom A chubby girl with smudged pink harlequin glasses and a habit of stealing Heath Bars from the local five-and-dime, Elizabeth Taube is the only child of parents whose indifference to her is the one sure thing in her life. When her search for love and attention leads her into the arms of her junior-high-school English teacher, things begin to get complicated. And even her friend Mrs. Hill, a nearly blind, elderly black woman, can''t protect her when real love—exhilarating, passionate, heartbreaking—enters her life in the gorgeous shape of Huddie Lester. With her finely honed style and her unflinching sensibility, Bloom shows us how profoundly the forces of love and desire can shape a life.

BONUS: This edition contains a Where the God of Love Hangs Out discussion guide. Love, in its many forms and complexities, weaves through this collection by Amy Bloom, theNew York Times bestselling author of Away. Bloom’s astonishing and astute stories illuminate the mysteries of passion, family, and friendship. A young woman is haunted by her roommate’s murder; a man and his daughter-in-law confess their sins in the unlikeliest of places; two middle-aged, married friends find themselves surprisingly drawn to each other, risking all for their love but never underestimating the cost. Propelled by Bloom’s dazzling prose, unmistakable voice, and generous wit, Where the God of Love Hangs Out takes us to the margins and the centers of people’s emotional lives, exploring the changes that come with love and loss.

A unique offer for fans of Amy Bloom, bestselling author of Away...sample just one piece from her stunning new collection of interconnected short stories. Available at this special price for a limited time only. Love, in its many forms and complexities, weaves through New York Times bestselling author Amy Bloom’s astonishing and astute new work. Insightful, sensuous, and heartbreakingly funny, Where the God of Love Hangs Out illuminates the mysteries of love, family, and friendship. In the haunting story Between Here and Here, a daughter reluctantly steps in to take care of the infirm father she hated for so many years. As a tribute to her late mother, and to show that she is a better person than her father, she gives everything she has to this terrible old man and revises history. Between Here and Here and the eleven other stories that comprise Where the God of Love Hangs Out showcase stories of passion and disappointment, life and death, that beautifully capture deep human truths.

Amy Bloom was nominated for a National Book Award for her first collection, Come to Me, and her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Story, Antaeus, and other magazines, and in The Best American Short Stories and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards. In her new collection, she enhances her reputation as a true artist of the form. Here are characters confronted with tragedy, perplexed by emotions, and challenged to endure whatever modern life may have in store. A loving mother accompanies her daughter in her journey to become a man, and discovers a new, hopeful love. A stepmother and stepson meet again after fifteen years and a devastating mistake, and rediscover their familial affection for each other. And in "The Story," a widow bent on seducing another woman''s husband constructs and deconstructs her story until she has "made the best and happiest ending" possible "in this world."

Arriving in America alone after her family is destroyed in a Russian pogrom, Lillian Leyb receives word that her daughter Sophie might still be alive and embarks on a risky odyssey that takes her from New York''s Lower East Side through Chicago, Seattle, the Yukon, and Alaska, to Siberia to find the missing girl.

Panoramic in scope, Away is the epic and intimate story of young Lillian Leyb, a dangerous innocent, an accidental heroine. When her family is destroyed in a Russian pogrom, Lillian comes to America alone, determined to make her way in a new land. When word comes that her daughter, Sophie, might still be alive, Lillian embarks on an odyssey that takes her from the world of the Yiddish theater on New York’s Lower East Side, to Seattle’s Jazz District, and up to Alaska, along the fabled Telegraph Trail toward Siberia. All of the qualities readers love in Amy Bloom’s work–her humor and wit, her elegant and irreverent language, her unflinching understanding of passion and the human heart–come together in the embrace of this brilliant novel, which is at once heartbreaking, romantic, and completely unforgettable.

Amy Bloom has won a devoted readership and wide critical acclaim for fiction of rare humor, insight, grace, and eloquence, and the same qualities distinguish Normal, a provocative, intimate journey into the lives of “people who reveal, or announce, that their gender is variegated rather than monochromatic”—female-to-male transsexuals, heterosexual crossdressers, and the intersexed. We meet Lyle Monelle and his mother, Jessie, who recognized early on that her little girl was in fact a boy and used her life savings to help Lyle make the transition. On a Carnival cruise with a group of crossdressers and their spouses, we meet Peggy Rudd and her husband, “Melanie,” who devote themselves to the cause of “ordinary heterosexual men with an additional feminine dimension.” And we meet Hale Hawbecker, “a regular, middle-of-the-road, white-bread guy” with a wife, kids, and a medical condition, the standard treatment for which would have changed his life and his gender. Casting light into the dusty corners of our assumptions about sex, gender and identity, Bloom reveals new facets to the ideas of happiness, personality and character, even as she brilliantly illuminates the very concept of "normal.”

Nominated for a National Book Award, this fresh and stunning collection of stories takes the reader deep into the heart of the most alarming and joyful human relationships.