Knucklebones: 27 Stories - Softcover

Thomas, Annabel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 188423514X ISBN 13: 9781884235146

Publisher: Helicon Nine Editions, 1995

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Book by Thomas, Annabel

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From Publishers Weekly:

Thomas, who won the Iowa Fiction Award for her first book, The Phototropic Woman, was awarded the 1994 Willa Cather Fiction Prize for this collection of 27 stories. The pieces describe characters who seem almost lifted from another era, not only because they live in small towns and farming communities (like Thomas, who lives in rural Ohio) but because their beliefs also seem rooted in earlier centuries. Some pieces feature the common protagonists, usually troubled misfits who are confused or unhappy with their lives. From the opening story, ``The Westerer,'' about adolescent Buddy, whose father has left home and whose mother has just died in childbirth, to ``The Aesthetics of Love,'' about Roberta, who refuses to believe that her husband, a concert violinist, has truly abandoned her, this collection is filled with the sadness of people whose lives have been suspended by events beyond their control and comprehension. Most readers will be haunted by the strong characterizations and vivid descriptions; others may be disappointed simply because of the similarity of settings and characters and the consistently bleak tone.

From Library Journal:

Winner of the 1994 Willa Cather Fiction Prize, this collection takes more than a cursory glance at rural small towns, probably those similar to the Ohio village where Thomas resides. With their occasional supernatural elements, these stories lyrically capture the faith, fears, and foibles of families in Tapp City and Captina. The collection's strongest pieces, such as "Mattie's Numbers" and "Doney Gal," concentrate on people from the surrounding Appalachian hills, often derogatorily dubbed "hillbillies." Some of these Appalachian pieces approach, but never surpass, the excellence of notable Appalachian storyteller Lee Smith with their portrayal of mountaineer pride and passion. Though published more than ten years ago, Thomas's first book, Phototropic Woman (LJ 2/1/82), also received several honors, including the Iowa Fiction Award. Recommended for most fiction collections.
Faye A. Chadwell, Univ. of Oregon, Eugene
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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