Maud Casey Boeken

Through the diverse lives of emotional and geographic nomads, the narrative delves into themes of loss and love. Characters include a college graduate at a body donation clinic, a woman fascinated by Benedictine monks, and a girl escaping her mother's mental illness with her father. Each story reveals their struggles with madness and self-destruction, yet they all seek connection and resilience. Maud Casey's poignant storytelling captures their journeys, offering a vivid exploration of hope amidst chaos in this unforgettable collection.

Exploring themes of family, faith, and mental illness, the narrative revolves around the Hennart family: Samantha, a blocked poet; Bernard, fixated on a mystic; Ryan, a struggling musician; and Marguerite, an increasingly troubled teenager. As their lives intertwine, the story delves into their struggles and the complexities of their relationships, leading to a profound journey of unraveling and eventual redemption.

In a marvelous fusion of fact and fiction, nineteenth-century women institutionalized as hysterics reveal what history ignored

Isabelle, in her thirties and recently unemployed, returns to her childhood suburb of Standardsville, Illinois. As she navigates her quirky family dynamics, including a single mother and a neighbor with a past in television, she also grapples with an ex-boyfriend. To make ends meet, she takes on a role as a mystery shopper for a temp agency, immersing herself in the lives of prospective tenants in newly developed suburban communities. This journey explores themes of identity, nostalgia, and the complexities of adult life.