FIVE TUESDAYS IN WINTER
“You are supposed to feel, at the end of a book, that what has gone on is completely unimaginable, and yet inevitable.”
Lily King’s latest triumph of storytelling is actually a series of small feats in the form of a new, riveting collection, Five Tuesdays In Winter. In one short story, a teenager learns the limitations of a crush when working as a nanny for a complicated family. In another, a shy bookseller pines hopefully for an employee. One story finds a grieving mother and daughter on holiday, struggling to find common ground. The final story introduces self doubt in male human form, as he pays an unwelcome visit to an overwhelmed young mother.
This book has secured Lily King’s place as one of my few auto-buy authors. The mini plots are almost besides the point in this collection. Here, the writing is the star of the show, and readers take on the role of observer, glimpsing unexpected moments that change a character’s life for better or worse. Grief, love, resentment and hope reverberate in these intense yet nuanced stories, each one packing a powerful punch, and leaving you wanting just a little bit more.
In Five Days In Winter, mushroom soup is a tiny spark of a joke between two people deciding if they’ll flirt. I’ve actually never cooked with mushrooms but I welcomed the challenge of creating warm, cozy, winter vibes with an ingredient I never use. Plus @smittenkitchen recipes are always perfect! And I got to finally use my new immersion blender - anyone who has one knows it’s a soup-making game changer! Recipe link in my stories today.
Do you enjoy short story collections? I loved Interpreter of Maladies; How to Love a Jamaican; You Think It, I’ll Say It; and especially connected stories like Olive Kitteridge. What are some of your favorites?
