Permanent Member of the Family

Title: Permanent Member of the Family
Author: Russell Banks
ISBN: 9780061857669
Publisher: Ecco
Published: 2014
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Edition: Reprint
Number of Pages: 240
Section: Fiction | Short Stories (single author)
Publisher Description:

A collection of short stories from the contemporary American master whom the New York Times declared "the most compassionate fiction writer working today."

Suffused with Russell Banks's trademark lyricism and reckless humor, the twelve stories in A Permanent Member of the Family examine the myriad ways we try--and sometimes fail--to connect with one another, as we seek a home in the world.

In the title story, a father looks back on the legend of the cherished family dog whose divided loyalties mirrored the fragmenting of his marriage. "A Former Marine" asks, to chilling effect, if one can ever stop being a parent. And in the haunting, evocative "Veronica," a mysterious woman searching for her daughter may not be who she claims she is.

Moving between the stark beauty of winter in upstate New York and the seductive heat of Florida, Banks's acute and penetrating collection demonstrates the range and virtuosity of both his narrative prowess and his startlingly panoramic vision of modern American life.