{"product_id":"no-harm-done-9781943150076","title":"No Harm Done","description":"\u003ch2\u003eNo Harm Done by Jean McGarry\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJean McGarry's ninth book, \u003ci\u003eNo Harm Done\u003c\/i\u003e, is a collection of fifteen short stories that examines family life through a lens of dark humor and unflinching honesty. The collection merges the absurdist comedy of \u003ci\u003eCold Comfort Farm\u003c\/i\u003e with the sharp social commentary found in \u003ci\u003eDubliners\u003c\/i\u003e, creating a distinctive voice in contemporary American literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eStories of Family and Marriage\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe characters populating these stories range from gallant to grim, goofy to gifted. McGarry portrays sickly mothers managing a dozen children, alcoholic fathers with exceptional storytelling abilities, and young people dreaming of religious vocations or simply escaping their circumstances intact. As the author notes in \"Strong Boy,\" \"every family, rich or poor, is roughage.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne section focuses on an unlikely marriage between a Jewish psychoanalyst and his ex-nun wife—a pairing made in heaven despite its unconventional origins. Another set of stories reimagines familiar fairy tales, transporting them into contemporary settings where the wild present collides with timeless narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eLiterary Style and Themes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe title \u003ci\u003eNo Harm Done\u003c\/i\u003e functions as Irish code for wishful thinking, a phrase that captures the collection's exploration of denial, resilience, and the stories families tell themselves. McGarry's fiction is character-driven, balancing bitter grievances with moments of genuine comedy. The collection concludes with what the author presents as a truce in the war between the sexes and a potential solution to the tragicomedy inherent in marriage and family life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout Jean McGarry\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA Rhode Island native, Jean McGarry serves as Elliott Coleman Professor of Fiction in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. Her previous works include \u003ci\u003eOcean State\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Bad and Stupid Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, and her debut \u003ci\u003eAirs of Providence\u003c\/i\u003e. Published by Dalkey Archive Press, \u003ci\u003eNo Harm Done\u003c\/i\u003e represents McGarry's continued examination of domestic fiction through a literary lens, offering readers both entertainment and insight into the complexities of family dynamics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMcGarry, Jean:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003ci\u003eNo Harm Done\u003c\/i\u003e is Jean McGarry's ninth book. She has published novels, novellas, and story collections, including \u003ci\u003eOcean State\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Bad and Stupid Girl\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAirs of Providence\u003c\/i\u003e, her first. A Rhode Island native, McGarry is Elliott Coleman Professor in The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University.","brand":"Dalkey Archive Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50493268197650,"sku":"9781943150076","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_3b94115b-ecf1-48d7-a5f2-10613452bf38.jpg?v=1730641176","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/no-harm-done-9781943150076","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}