Domesticated Wild Things, and Other Stories (Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction)
Aliu’s debut collection, winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction, looks at a variety of characters living on the outskirts as they wrestle with their circumstances or impulses. In “Feather Ann,” a YMCA counselor is at odds with the titular outcast, who steals a pair of her beloved suede moccasins. When confronted, the young Feather Ann’s lack of remorse contrasts with the counselor’s assumed compassion. The sly “Two Assholes” follows the breakdown of a marriage when the narrator, Viktoras, arrives home to find that his wife, Maureen, has left him a mathematically weighted spreadsheet dictating grounds for divorce. Determined to prove his worth, he makes an appointment with his doctor, leading to a darkly humorous revelation. In “Flipping Property,” a young mother is forced to confront her past and present after taking part in a get-rich-quick foreclosure scheme. The title tale follows a neighbor’s distanced relationship with her raucous neighbors—two brothers and their extended family—after one adopts a litter of kittens. Aliu’s colorful characters, both resilient yet troubled, bolster the 11 spirited tales. --Leah Strauss