{"product_id":"the-whole-beautiful-world-stories-9781927366622","title":"The Whole Beautiful World: Stories","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Kuipers' light touch and eye for telling details will keep the reader wanting more. A collection of delicate sketches that mark Kuipers as a writer of promise.\" --\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOriginal, witty, and subtle, this collection of beautifully crafted short stories features complex characters whose internal struggles manifest in their most intimate relationships, told by a writer with a compassionate eye.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA narrator watches her social sphere deteriorate after her boyfriend's rough-housing leads to his best friend's tragic paralysis. Childhood sweethearts, finally united later in life, find that they are not the soulmates they believed themselves to be. After her mother becomes depressed after a miscarriage, a daughter takes on the role of caregiver.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSet in a fictional rural towns, these stories explore young people who grow up against a religious backdrop, mothers who balk at society's imposed identities, and characters who explore their individual roles within their families as they navigate sexuality, suffering, and shame. These narrators are blunt and sometimes obsessive, but bravely optimistic as they strive to be the best versions of themselves.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs her characters struggle to discern deception from reality, using their limited resources to parse charm and charisma from credibility, Kuipers understated style is darkly witty and full of detailed observation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKuipers, Melissa:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cb\u003eMelissa Kuipers\u003c\/b\u003e was born and raised on an egg farm in Aylmer, Ontario, and she grew up in a tight-knit Dutch-Canadian Christian community. She holds a Masters in English in the Field of Creative Writing at the University of Toronto. She has been published in the \u003ci\u003eRusty Toque\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGrain\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eJoyland\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRyga\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eQwerty\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003ePuritan\u003c\/i\u003e. Melissa lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her husband, Mark, and infant son, Elliott.","brand":"Brindle \u0026 Glass","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50364077670674,"sku":"9781927366622","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4205c1c3-729e-49cd-bae7-13358f1763a5.jpg?v=1728425553","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-whole-beautiful-world-stories-9781927366622","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}