The Reach of a Root

by Laura Tansley, Micaela Maftei

Power stances in loo cubicles; heartfelt letters from a stranger’s parents; clairvoyant coffee shop customers; awkward post-threesome encounters...

In this collection of short stories, Canada-based Micaela Maftei and UK-based Laura Tansley collaborate transatlantically to craft a single, blended voice; both in form and content, their stories consider place, displacement and the spaces where the two overlap. With insight and humour the authors map the ongoing search for selfhood across various stages and settings of women’s lives, magnifying the mundane to remind us that life is made up of the tiny details we often overlook. The Reach of a Root speaks to life’s anxieties, triumphs and trials, fusing Colin Barrett’s exploration of place and identity, the dark humour of Amy Hempel and the physicality of Joyce Carol Oates.

200 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2019

Reviews

[Toni Marshall]

Very odd. Some of the stories had such promise but just end up going anywhere or in a weird direction. There wasn't a lot of flow and they didn't really feel like they gelled. The only theme I found in the stories was young females who felt like they were lonely and in most instances socially awkward. Don't tink I'd recommend to anyone

[Claire Abs]

to-read