Fiction
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... A sum of its own
gorgeous parts.
Michele Madigan-Somerville
Michele Madigan-Somerville
Memory and longing mingle as Carolyn unravels her grief: a woman the couple once spotted in
Paris becomes, in Carolyn's imagination, a model named Annabella; a young Swiss woman
they encountered in Thailand fends off the advances of a pair of Israeli brothers, then gives
in to one, then the other and ends up hating herself. Other stories involve memories of old
boyfriends, revealing hidden bits of Carolyn's past; in between she allows glimpses into the
couple's unhappiness: her lover's dissatisfaction with the constraints of fatherhood, routine and
boredom, and the sense that he has simply fallen out of love. Publishers Weekly
I found No Perfect Words really brilliant, stories within stories, each engrossing,
a surprising and eloquent meditation, beautifully written, riveting.
Stephanie Dickinson, author of Half-Girl
Time has a nasty tendency to leave the whys of the matter unanswered. No Perfect Words
is a novel looking at the life of Caroline Traeger, struck with a midlife crisis and a seven year
old daughter. Unsure of how she got to that point in the first place, she reflects on her life and
what she truly believes in and whats out of life. An intrigueing and fascinating story many
women will relate to, No Perfect Words is not to be missed. Midwest Book Review
of her confession to burn the past and the everyday predictable routine. Written
with sensitivity and fairness, this is an invite to stop, think and reshape the gift of
living, loving, and creating stars from dust. Carmen Firan, author of The Farce and The Second Life
Renek‘s voice of quiet questing serves as a forceful infrastructure for her
soul-singing poetic luminosity and imaginative shifts in point of view. The
result of this experiment of fiction is courageously various, the best kind of fleshly.
Michele Madigan-Somerville, author of Wisegal & Black Irish
After the break up of a long-term relationship, forty-something Caroline Traeger must put
her life back together. Left alone with her seven-year-old daughter, she desperately
searches back through her life for an explanation for her personal failure. Through
stories of her adventurous past, she explores love, desire, commitment, and
loneliness, comparing her own choices to those of other women she’s met along
the way. Her journey is ours, re-arranging the pieces of the puzzle that make a meaningful life.
Nava Renek
Nava Renek is a
writer, editor, and educator. Her short stories and essays can be found
in
literary magazines and websites. Her first novel, Spiritland, was published in 2002.
She is also the editor of Wreckage of Reason: Anthology of XXperimental Prose By
Contemporary Women Writers (2008).
literary magazines and websites. Her first novel, Spiritland, was published in 2002.
She is also the editor of Wreckage of Reason: Anthology of XXperimental Prose By
Contemporary Women Writers (2008).