All It Takes

by Patricia Volk

This collection of short stories by Patricia Volk shares heartwarming and comical tales of the relationships between wives, husbands, mothers, sisters, and daughters.

From “Mystery Salad” to “Something Wet in the Dark,” All it Takes is a charming and heartfelt collection of stories that are sure to remind readers of the enchanting relationships among family members and the puzzling stages of love.

With fifteen stories from the perspective of women in all different stages of life, Volk takes us into the urban existence of wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters as they grow to recognize the things they’ve done right and learn from the things they’ve done wrong.

Genres: Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Patricia Volk is the author of the memoir Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family and four works of fiction. A recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, she has taught at Columbia University, New York University, and Bennington College, and has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and Playboy. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were some interesting short stories. I liked but didn’t love them. The book advertises itself as being funny but the stories were more sad than anything. Not sure where the book came from- may have been one of Elliot’s.