Swing in the House paints an utterly contemporary portrait of Canadian families in their most private moments. Anand pulls back the curtains to reveal the unspoken complexities within the modern home, from sibling rivalries to fracturing marriages, casual racism to damaged egos, hidden homosexuality to mental illness. Each of these stories offers a deftly-constructed morality play. In the novella-length title story, a young mother timidly explores the possibilities of an affair to alleviate the suffocation of a loveless marriage, to detrimental effect. In âIndelible Markers,â a girl vacationing in Greece learns that growing up with a schizophrenic father has affected her relationships with men. In âSomething Steady,â a lonely, mentally challenged teen vents his anger on a co-workerâs boyfriend. Throughout, Anandâs incisive intelligence, sharp prose, and sly wit infuse dark undercurrents into these seventeen cautionary tales.
Advance Praise:
These stories are full of undercurrents that disturb the surface, and these disturbances, in their turn, dazzle as they reflect light. Anita Anand is a sensitive observer of human behaviour and, because she is unafraid to explore difficult
emotions, her stories revealâin broad strokes and subtle shadingsâglimpses of truth.
âElise Moser, author of Lily and Taylor and Because I Have Loved and Hidden It.
This is a wise, assured and wonderfully intelligent collection that announces the arrival of an exciting new talent. âDennis Bock
Swing in the House and Other Stories - Anita Anand
Swing in the House paints an utterly contemporary portrait of Canadian families in their most private moments. Anand pulls back the curtains to reveal the unspoken complexities within the modern home, from sibling rivalries to fracturing marriages, casual racism to damaged egos, hidden homosexuality to mental illness. Each of these stories offers a deftly-constructed morality play. In the novella-length title story, a young mother timidly explores the possibilities of an affair to alleviate the suffocation of a loveless marriage, to detrimental effect. In âIndelible Markers,â a girl vacationing in Greece learns that growing up with a schizophrenic father has affected her relationships with men. In âSomething Steady,â a lonely, mentally challenged teen vents his anger on a co-workerâs boyfriend. Throughout, Anandâs incisive intelligence, sharp prose, and sly wit infuse dark undercurrents into these seventeen cautionary tales.
Advance Praise:
These stories are full of undercurrents that disturb the surface, and these disturbances, in their turn, dazzle as they reflect light. Anita Anand is a sensitive observer of human behaviour and, because she is unafraid to explore difficult
emotions, her stories revealâin broad strokes and subtle shadingsâglimpses of truth.
âElise Moser, author of Lily and Taylor and Because I Have Loved and Hidden It.
This is a wise, assured and wonderfully intelligent collection that announces the arrival of an exciting new talent. âDennis Bock