Thalia

Twelve stories introducing a remarkable new writer... In "Calamity and Other Stories, Daphne Kalotay portrays with affection and frankness the complexity and comedy of human relationships. From a newly independent woman finding herself in bed with her husband of long ago to a thirteen-year-old boy irked by his friendship with a younger girl, Kalotay's characters step poignantly into and out of each other's worlds, at times frustrated by regrets and unrealized hopes and at other times embracing life's small joys and absurdities. Every Monday the man in Sunshine Cleaners awaits the one customer who acknowledges his existence, though all she offers are complaints. A little girl gets a surprising glimpse of adulthood when she catches her mother in a moment of uninhibited pleasure. And for two older women, a tie formed long ago sustains them through defining twists of fate. In each of these luminous stories, Kalotay lays bare a profound truth about the secrets of the heart. Exquisitely crafted, moving, and funny, "Calamity and Other Stories showcases a writer finding wonder in ordinary lives.