This debut story collection was a joy. I read it, or really listened to it, quickly, all in one sitting on a Wednesday morning while snuggling with my dog & waiting for my packed day to begin at noon. (This is the benefit of having a school schedule that concentrates classes and meetings in the afternoons, but a dog who wakes up at 7am - lots of lazy morning read time.)
It opens with "How Am I Supposed to Talk to You?" the story of a college-aged woman returning to Mexico to come out to her mother, who she has not visited in years. As the main character sells Victoria's Secret underwear on the beach with her mom and meets her mother's new boyfriend (who doesn't know her mother speaks English), she struggles to figure out her place in her mother's life, and where this relationship fits amid the other close relationships with her life. From this story, I was hooked.
The two standout stories for me were "My Humans," about a relationship from the vantage point of the couple's dog, and "Desert Hearts," about a recent law school graduate who pretends she's a lesbian to get a job selling sex toys. Each story in this collection has a unique perspective to offer, and many center, or at least touch, on 20- and 30-somethings' relationships & sex. Holmes has a funny streak that brings an extra element of truth & reality to her stories.
Verdict: Affirmed. For people looking to try short stories, this is a fresh, fun collection that will serve as an easy & enjoyable entry point.
"Barbara the Slut and Other People" by Lauren Holmes, published August 4, 2015 by Riverhead Books. Audio narration by Jorjeana Marie, published August 31, 2015 by Tantor Audio.
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