MENDOCINO FIRE: Stories - Softcover

Elizabeth Tallent is, and always has been, a vivid, meticulous, and astutely inviting writer. These new stories vitally tell us how things are for us, in the most acute and memorable ways. Her ear is perfect; her gaze searing and unmistakable. --Richard Ford"

Elizabeth Tallent s style is so distinctive, and it s the kind of writing I so enjoy, never obvious, full of complex thought and perception, so boldly ambitious. --Tessa Hadley, author of "Clever Girl""

MENDOCINO FIRE throws sparks. --"Vanity Fair""

Tallent s characters are most nearly themselves, because of or in spite of love, and that is the rich truth of this book. --"Oregonian""

[Tallent] brings an immense complexity and dimension to the domestic affairs of the heart. At times, these stories almost veer toward the epic, emotionally speaking, and are reminiscent of the muscular, sharp-eyed narratives of the late Robert Stone. --"San Francisco Chronicle""

Enchanting. . . . Immediately engaging. . . . The ability to create characters who force us to withhold judgment and leave us gasping at their absolute, solid reality isn t the result of any special kindness or goodness on the part of the author.--"New York Times" Book Review"

In her fourth collection, Tallent explores the spaces between people through 10 expertly crafted stories. . . . Tallent s collection offers a smart, thought-provoking study of desire and disappointment. --"Publishers Weekly""

Tallent s assured voice is a pleasure to follow through this book. . . . An ambitious and wide-ranging set of stories that creates empathy for most of its characters due to Tallent s generous imagination. --"Kirkus Reviews""

Driving, furious, erotic, gilded, the sentences flying at you like arrows...Her book is a meditation on the state of marriage. --"Tin House""

Excellent. . . . In these stories, [Tallent] continues to explore relationships on the brink of transformation. --"San Jose Mercury News""