The Whore's Child: Stories (Vintage Contemporaries) - Softcover

"An author whose laid-back understatements can be as sharp as other writers' boldest declarations....the architect of stories you can't put down." --The New York Times

"[Russo] has joined those writers who can be said to have coined their own universe.... [He] achieves an emotional balance through his humor and generosity of spirit." --Chicago Sun-Times

"The most expansive of contemporary writers." -- The New York Times Book Review

"Straightforward and engaging from the first page... Mr. Russo makes writing short stories seem effortless." --Wall Street Journal

"These beautifully crafted stories, made more appealing by their rueful humor, are the work of a writer at the top of his game." -New York Post

"Russo is a master of the small moment as nuclear explosion, the life-changing turn of the screw. His writing is unornate, but as authoritative (and cool) as marble. . . .The Whore's Child is . . . powerful and moving." -Atlanta Journal Constitution

"The vigorous comic voice that has always been Russo's is a great leavening force here. . . . These stories are something to be grateful for." -Newsday

"The Whore's Child pulsate[s] with real life." -The New Leader

"[Russo] stands alone as the Stendhal of blue-collar America." -Esquire

"Russo again proves himself the master of real-life angst with the comic twist. His characters are sometimes funny, often sad, but never pathetic." -Orlando Sentinel

"The Whore's Child should solidify his reputation....All seven stories are lovely examples of Russo's wit and compassion." -Newark Sunday Star-Ledger

A first collection of short fiction by the author of Empire Falls explores the mysteries and complexities of human behavior and motivation in the lives of such characters as a jaded Hollywood filmmaker, a precocious fifth-grader watching his parents' marriage disintegrate, a child forced into a harrowing cross-country escape, and a septuagenarian nun. Reprint. 75,000 first printing.