Great Escapes from Detroit

by Joseph O'Malley

In Great Escapes from Detroit, Joseph O’Malley tells stories of families living in Detroit. In an imperfect city that beckons and repels, these characters probe the ever-shifting terrain of the human heart, where the tenacious pull and push of love, trepidation, and occasional joy plays out as they navigate the opposing impulses that exist in all families: to embrace their circumstances, or to escape. Whether it’s the father who fears he may have spawned a monstrously violent child, the woman overwhelmed by dealing with a crazy neighbor while caring for her ailing father, the teenage boy who finds that asceticism won’t shield him from the horrors or the joys of life, or the happy woman who can’t help her severely depressed husband, these stories reveal the throbbing kernel of hope that persists even in the most dire circumstances.

Genres: Short Stories

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 5, 2019

Reviews

[Joseph O'Malley]

I can't actually review this book, because I wrote it. I just wanted to upload it to Goodreads to provide another place where readers could access it. My dream is to have the book in every library in the world, so even if you're not going to buy it, please ask your local librarian to consider ordering it.

P.S., I will NEVER comment on reviews, so have no fear of writing an honest review even if it's not complimentary.

Thank you. MWAH.

[Jessica Treadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love short stories, read this book. Joseph O'Malley captures the small but significant moments in "ordinary" people's lives, rendering their pain and hope, triumphs and failures, with insight, compassion, and grace. A beautiful read.