Underground Women

by Jesse Lee Kercheval

Overview

A newlywed gazes upon the wreckage of the Titanic. A young woman becomes the protégé of a Parisian hotelier. An old woman meets an angel in a ghost town. Underground Women is a compilation of short stories by multitalented writer Jesse Lee Kercheval. The heart of the volume is a reissue of narratives first published as the The Dogeater, winner of the AWP Short Fiction Award in 1987. With arresting imagery and heart-wrenching storylines, Kercheval’s work uses humor and imagination to weave together themes of loss, dignity, tenacity, and acceptance. These surreal and powerful vignettes will resonate with readers today as much as they did when first published.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780299323981
Publisher:	University of Wisconsin Press
Publication date:	04/16/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	120
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Jesse Lee Kercheval is the author and editor of fifteen books, including fiction, poetry, memoir, and a textbook on writing fiction. She is the Zona Gale Professor of English and Director of the Program in Creative Writing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Table of Contents

Carpathia 3

Underground Women 5

A Story Set in Germany 16

Willy 30

Civil Service 43

A Clean House 55

Tertiary Care 70

La Mort Au Moyen Âge 81

The History of the Church in America 89

A History of Indiana 112

The Dogeater 126

Afterword 145

Editorial Reviews

06/17/2019

Kercheval (My Life as a Silent Movie) shows her virtuosity in this collection of 11 short stories. “Carpathia,” a gem, contrasts a newlywed’s tragic destiny to the kind of doom suffered by passengers on the Titanic. In the title story, a young female American photographer in Paris becomes the charge of her French hotel proprietress, their subsequent exploits playing out like a French noir movie. “Civil Service,” a hilarious depiction of government bureaucracy, follows an administrative trainee’s unlikely rise to power. In “A Clean House,” a 52-year-old osteoporosis-ridden woman’s life is transformed when a rather bizarre agency-sent aide eases her passage to death. “The History of the Church in America” reveals the machinations behind starting a new religious sect, from birth to implosion, replete with visions and holy messengers. “The Dogeater” brilliantly satirizes the assimilation of indigenous cultures, with the caveat that some traditions will never go away. With powerfully evocative settings created with economy, these stories shine with authenticity for their insight into human foibles and vulnerability. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly