Survival Rates

A baby's funeral urn has been lost. A dog has bitten off a girl's nose. The abandoned butterflies have been set free. The doctor has diagnosed a fatal illness. Mary Clyde's stories explore not so much what has happened already but what happens next. Sometimes the most difficult part of life's misfortunes is trying to find a way to go on. Characters ask, How does it matter? What does it mean to survive? These questions are explored by men, women, teenagers, and children in an environment that is hostile not only to the heart but also to the body. Illness bristles through the book, magnifying emotional undercurrents.

First sentence: At a time when environment simply meant surroundings, Howard Johnson, the hotelier, used dynamite to gouge a foothold for his mansion overlooking Paradise Valley.

Year

1999

Language

English

Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company

Editions

2

Pages

288

ISBN

9780393320848

Data source: Wikidata