Show don't tell: stories

Sittenfeld's first story collection since You Think It, I'll Say It (2019) is peopled by women and men in midlife, examining their pasts and the parts of themselves they've lost, jettisoned, or prioritized thus far. They have kids, regrets, and embarrassing little secrets; they were in marriages that ended or are in marriages that maybe should. The protagonist of "Follow-up" must ask "What is this a story about?" in her work as a corporate lawyer as she awaits a life-changing judgment in her own life. In the truly hilarious "The Hug," a husband and wife spend days discussing, to the point that they are hardly speaking, whether it would be appropriate for her to embrace an ex-boyfriend who plans to visit on his way through town during a pandemic road trip. "Given that there's not much difference between hugging him and not hugging him, how about not doing it?" the husband suggests. Sittenfeld can describe midlife romance as more like "an essential recognition," and it does sound pretty romantic. Her perfectly contained stories are a joy for their realistically and mundanely fractured characters, moral ambiguities, movingly related moments, and the message that even the smallest tale offers lessons to uncover.

Sittenfeld (Romantic Comedy) zooms in on urban Midwesterners dealing with middle-aged disillusions in this witty story collection. The protagonists, who skew liberal and are often blind to their upper-middle-class privilege, bumble into sticky situations. In "A for Alone," set in 2017, floundering artist Irene conducts a project involving a series of lunch dates with men, after which she asks them to fill out a questionnaire about the "Mike Pence rule," a reference to Pence's refusal to spend time alone with a woman other than his wife. "The Hug," which takes place in the summer of 2020, starts with the flimsiest of premises: Daphne, a St. Louis accountant, tells her husband she plans to hug her ex-boyfriend when he visits them during a road trip from Montana. But with Covid raging, a hug is not just a hug; Daphne plans to isolate from her family for six days afterward. As the couple discuss the plan, they're forced to examine their assumptions about intimacy and faithfulness. In "Lost But Not Forgotten," Sittenfeld revisits Lee Fiora, the protagonist of her 2005 novel Prep, as Lee attends her high school class's 30-year reunion. In one sparkling comedy of manners after another, the author documents with a clear and affectionate eye how tiny prejudices and blind spots lead her protagonists astray. These stories entertain and unsettle in equal measure. (Feb.)

Most of the characters in Sittenfeld's (Romantic Comedy) new story collection are middle-aged, middle-class, left-leaning, race-sensitive Midwesterners. From their midlife perspectives, they recall encounters with the rich and famous as well as cringeworthy episodes from their pasts. There are many highlights. In "The Marriage Clock," a Hollywood producer pays a visit to the bestselling author of a Christian marriage manual, whom she hopes to persuade to allow gay characters to be added to the proposed screen adaptation of his manual. It comes as a great surprise to the producer that that not only is the author witty and charming, but his relationship advice helps save her own cooling marriage. In "White Women LOL," a white woman has a run-in with a group of Black people who have come for drinks at a bar where her friend's party is wrapping up. The subsequent recording of the incident hits social media and alienates her from her friends and neighbors. The story "Lost but Not Forgotten" pays homage to Sittenfeld's well-loved novel Prep. At a 30-year class reunion, attendees renew friendships, reveal old secrets, and rekindle romances. VERDICT There isn't space enough to highlight each of Sittenfeld's stories, all of which are compelling, relatable, and worthy.--Barbara Love

The protagonists in Sittenfeld's second collection of short stories look back--with mixed emotions. Though the characters here are largely middle-aged men and women reflecting on marriage, career, and friendship, few encounter anything as dramatic as a midlife crisis; these are tales of midlife contemplation. In "The Richest Babysitter in the World," a professor finds joy in her own comparatively ordinary life even as she recalls turning down a job offer from a then-unknown Jeff Bezos--esque figure; in "Follow-Up," an attorney awaiting medical test results reminisces about a hookup in law school. Sittenfeld's characters--including Lee Fiora, the protagonist of her debut novel,Prep (2005), who reappears here in "Lost but Not Forgotten"--typically see the world with an almost hypervigilant level of scrutiny. Cutting remarks or seemingly innocuous gestures take on outsize meanings; characters analyze their own and others' social positions through the prisms of wealth, artistic talent, physical attractiveness, and celebrity. Happily, the once-insecure Lee has mellowed considerably, and though her powers of observation, honed during four agonizing years at a New England prep school, haven't been blunted, they're no longer tinged by self-loathing. Sittenfeld's politically themed novels have been wildly popular, and several stories use politics and contemporary issues as jumping-off points for sharp insights on human nature. "A for Alone" follows an artist attempting to make sense of the "Mike Pence rule" (the former vice president's policy of avoiding one-on-one time with women other than his wife), while "White Women LOL" features a protagonist who displays a stunning lack of self-awareness for a Sittenfeld character--a woman dubbed "Vodka Vicky" after a video of her attempting to oust a group of Black people from a bar goes viral. While the lack of resolution of several entries may frustrate some readers, Sittenfeld's candor and matter-of-factness make for compellingly intimate and at times wildly funny reading. Astute, keen-eyed musings on lives well lived--and otherwise. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Sittenfeld's first story collection since You Think It, I'll Say It (2019) is peopled by women and men in midlife, examining their pasts and the parts of themselves they've lost, jettisoned, or prioritized thus far. They have kids, regrets, and embarrassing little secrets; they were in marriages that ended or are in marriages that maybe should. The protagonist of Follow-up must ask What is this a story about? in her work as a corporate lawyer as she awaits a life-changing judgment in her own life. In the truly hilarious The Hug, a husband and wife spend days discussing, to the point that they are hardly speaking, whether it would be appropriate for her to embrace an ex-boyfriend who plans to visit on his way through town during a pandemic road trip. Given that there's not much difference between hugging him and not hugging him, how about not doing it? the husband suggests. Sittenfeld can describe midlife romance as more like an essential recognition, and it does sound pretty romantic. Her perfectly contained stories are a joy for their realistically and mundanely fractured characters, moral ambiguities, movingly related moments, and the message that even the smallest tale offers lessons to uncover. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.

Bestselling Sittenfeld (Romantic Comedy) is well known for her novels, but her short fiction has also been popular, including the multi-best-booked You Think It, I'll Say It, a Reese's Book Club pick. Her latest collection contains 12 stories (three never before published) that explore marriage, friendship, fame, and artistic ambition. Lee Fiora, the main character from Prep, also makes an appearance. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2024 Library Journal

Most of the characters in Sittenfeld's (Romantic Comedy) new story collection are middle-aged, middle-class, left-leaning, race-sensitive Midwesterners. From their midlife perspectives, they recall encounters with the rich and famous as well as cringeworthy episodes from their pasts. There are many highlights. In "The Marriage Clock," a Hollywood producer pays a visit to the bestselling author of a Christian marriage manual, whom she hopes to persuade to allow gay characters to be added to the proposed screen adaptation of his manual. It comes as a great surprise to the producer that that not only is the author witty and charming, but his relationship advice helps save her own cooling marriage. In "White Women LOL," a white woman has a run-in with a group of Black people who have come for drinks at a bar where her friend's party is wrapping up. The subsequent recording of the incident hits social media and alienates her from her friends and neighbors. The story "Lost but Not Forgotten" pays homage to Sittenfeld's well-loved novel Prep. At a 30-year class reunion, attendees renew friendships, reveal old secrets, and rekindle romances. VERDICT There isn't space enough to highlight each of Sittenfeld's stories, all of which are compelling, relatable, and worthy.—Barbara Love

Sittenfeld (Romantic Comedy) zooms in on urban Midwesterners dealing with middle-aged disillusions in this witty story collection. The protagonists, who skew liberal and are often blind to their upper-middle-class privilege, bumble into sticky situations. In "A for Alone," set in 2017, floundering artist Irene conducts a project involving a series of lunch dates with men, after which she asks them to fill out a questionnaire about the "Mike Pence rule," a reference to Pence's refusal to spend time alone with a woman other than his wife. "The Hug," which takes place in the summer of 2020, starts with the flimsiest of premises: Daphne, a St. Louis accountant, tells her husband she plans to hug her ex-boyfriend when he visits them during a road trip from Montana. But with Covid raging, a hug is not just a hug; Daphne plans to isolate from her family for six days afterward. As the couple discuss the plan, they're forced to examine their assumptions about intimacy and faithfulness. In "Lost But Not Forgotten," Sittenfeld revisits Lee Fiora, the protagonist of her 2005 novel Prep, as Lee attends her high school class's 30-year reunion. In one sparkling comedy of manners after another, the author documents with a clear and affectionate eye how tiny prejudices and blind spots lead her protagonists astray. These stories entertain and unsettle in equal measure. (Feb.)