The Secret Lives of Men by Georgia Blain

JUDGES' COMMENTS

A collection of 13 stories, The Secret Lives of Men is a clear-eyed measure of a generation whose promise and possibilities have given way to the compromises that must attend every adult life. Entering pivotal moments in the mess of ordinary contemporary life – at the dog park, the library, the beach, or in the car – profound shifts in the complicated bonds between parents and children, friends and spouses are quietly, devastatingly laid bare.

It is the mark of a superior book of short stories when each contribution is able to stand in its own bold outline, yet also go to make something more and whole. This is such a book. There is a compassionate eye at work, observing the nuances of human need – the unique as well as the conventional – and writing fiction to a higher purpose than the demands of mere storytelling. In quiet tones, in the context of a pervasive refractory mood, this author has much to say on how we live, both secretly and not so secretly. It is a mature work from an author with a special sensibility and a comprehending, humane outlook.