{"product_id":"twenty-grand-and-other-tales-of-love-and-money-9780061173097","title":"Twenty Grand: And Other Tales of Love and Money","description":"\u003ch2\u003eTwenty Grand: And Other Tales of Love and Money\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRebecca Curtis's literary debut showcases her exceptional talent through a collection of provocative short stories that explore the complexities of modern life. These stories follow young women as they navigate the turbulent waters of relationships, financial struggles, and personal survival in contemporary America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFeatured Stories\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection includes several standout pieces: \"Hungry Self\" follows a young waitress who discovers something unsettling in the basement of an ordinary Chinese restaurant. \"Twenty Grand\" centers on a young wife's desperate attempt to recover her lost fortune. \"Monsters\" examines how one family's paranoia escalates to unthinkable consequences. \"The Witches\" transforms an innocent prom night swim into something far more dangerous than anyone anticipated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWriting Style and Recognition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCurtis writes with elegant prose paired with a wicked sense of humor, creating narratives that are both poignant and irresistible. Her provocative and uncompromising view of life has earned recognition from major literary publications. Her work has appeared in \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e (including its debut fiction issue), \u003cem\u003eHarper's\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMcSweeney's\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003en+1\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe author is a recipient of the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, and her work has been selected for \u003cem\u003eThe O. Henry Prize Stories\u003c\/em\u003e. She teaches in the graduate writing program at Columbia University, bringing her expertise to the next generation of writers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eThemes and Characters\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe characters in this collection are young women struggling to find happiness, love, success, security, and adventure in an unpredictable world. They wait tables, run away from home, fall for married men, betray their friends, and find themselves betrayed. Curtis captures the raw reality of these experiences without sentimentality or judgment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRebecca Curtis's writing has appeared in \u003cem\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/em\u003e, including its debut fiction issue, as well as in \u003cem\u003eHarper's\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMcSweeney's\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003en+1\u003c\/em\u003e. She is a recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, and her work has been selected for \u003cem\u003eThe O. Henry Prize Stories\u003c\/em\u003e. She teaches in the graduate writing program at Columbia University.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50680516641042,"sku":"9780061173097","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_cdb7f334-5648-43e5-b814-af84c4301428.jpg?v=1734920501","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/twenty-grand-and-other-tales-of-love-and-money-9780061173097","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}