The Book of Right and Wrong

Ohio State University Prize in Short Fiction

De: Matt Debenham

Narrado por: Colin MacQueen

Matt Debenham's stories are for people who think they don't like short stories. These stories don't leave off in mid-breath; instead, they feature characters who seem to live on even after their closing pages. The humor in The Book of Right and Wrong makes the jarring moments that much more jarring, and the tender moments that much more tender.

At once heartbreaking and hilarious, the 11 stories in The Book of Right and Wrong capture their characters at the defining moments of their lives. A mother finds herself defending her son's biggest bully from a tormentor of his own; a young man watches as his cape-wearing former high-school classmate proves himself more adept at making friends; a social worker gambles everything on expediting an adoption-and causes unforeseen consequences for every person in her life; a boy standing in for Jimmy Carter in his elementary school's mock-election inadvertently starts a bloody playground war; an ex-con single father finds himself on the inside of his town's social circle, with no clue as to how the game is played.

With lively storytelling and empathy to spare, The Book of Right and Wrong defies the notion that full, memorable characters live only in novels.

©2010 The Ohio State University (P)2012 Redwood Audiobooks

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This is a stunning debut from a distinctive new presence in American storytelling, among the best collections I have read." (Amy Greene, author of Bloodroot)

"Outrageous, tender, hilarious, bewildered: Matt Debenham's The Book of Right and Wrong is so full of life that it's a miracle the binding can hold it all together. A spectacular debut." (Paul Lisicky, author of Lawnboy and Famous Builder)