Acts of God Stories

by Ellen Gilchrist

From a National Book Award–winning "master of short fiction," a collection of "sharp, funny and insightful" stories ( The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ). Three middle-aged women set off on a vacation in Italy, but are sidelined along the way by terrorist activity. In post-Katrina New Orleans, an elderly couple makes a last effort at independence from caretakers and infirmities. These short stories and others, from the acclaimed author of Victory Over Japan and A Dangerous Age , feature characters dealing with forces beyond their control, yet somehow managing to triumph—even if only in spirit. "Reading Ellen Gilchrist is addictive . . . Her new work is filled with good people who show fortitude and even heroism under duress . . . In this age of edgy irony, her warm-hearted view of humanity is refreshing." —NPR "The stories in Acts of God are great postcards from the world of Ellen Gilchrist. It's a world of war and strife and surprises, and it is, yes, marvelous to behold." — The New York Times Book Review "Gilchrist is at her best when the wry and satirical mood strikes her . . . and it's a pleasure to report that the best of the stories in Acts of God rank with the best in her first collection and in her second . . . for which she was awarded a richly deserved National Book Award." — The Washington Post

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