Stay Up With Me: Stories
Novelist and nonfiction writer Barbash’s  piercing first story collection explores characters reacting to the chaos and consequences of their everyday lives, from fractured relationships to the loss of a loved one  and instant regret. In “Balloon Night,” Timkin prepares to host his annual party even though his wife abruptly left him two nights ago. As friends and strangers arrive, Timkin tries frenetically to preserve his marriage’s façade rather than confront its demise. In “Her Words,” a teacher finds himself in an unusual situation when one of his students begins dating his son, who still lives with him. As the young couple’s relationship becomes more serious, the lines between teacher and student and between father and son become blurred. “The Women” finds Andrew struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death as his widowed father becomes a desirable commodity for the over-50 set. In “The Break,” a recently separated mother uneasily becomes reconciled to her son’s independence while getting used to her own new circumstances. Barbash’s 13 sharply eloquent tales are intricately shaded  by his characters’ desires. --Leah Strauss--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.