A MANUAL FOR HOW TO LOVE US Stories

Erin deWard narrates these haunting stories about grieving women with quiet intensity. In one story, a girl perceives herself to be a wolf and grieves that her best friend no longer believes in their wildness in the same way she does. In another, a woman tries to compartmentalize the devastating loss of a stillborn child by thinking about it only while sitting in a box in her basement. DeWard is especially good at voicing characters of varying ages, capturing the intensity of preteen girls alongside the weariness of middle-aged mothers. She also excels in scenes of emotional distress and confusion; in several of the stories' climaxes, her voice takes on a frenetic energy. This is a quiet but assured debut collection. L.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]