Stay Up With Me: Stories
Novelist and nonfiction writer Barbash&#x2019;s  piercing first story collection explores characters reacting to the chaos and consequences of their everyday lives, from fractured relationships to the loss of a loved one  and instant regret. In &#x201C;Balloon Night,&#x201D; Timkin prepares to host his annual party even though his wife abruptly left him two nights ago. As friends and strangers arrive, Timkin tries frenetically to preserve his marriage&#x2019;s fa&#xE7;ade rather than confront its demise. In &#x201C;Her Words,&#x201D; a teacher finds himself in an unusual situation when one of his students begins dating his son, who still lives with him. As the young couple&#x2019;s relationship becomes more serious, the lines between teacher and student and between father and son become blurred. &#x201C;The Women&#x201D; finds Andrew struggling to come to terms with his mother&#x2019;s death as his widowed father becomes a desirable commodity for the over-50 set. In &#x201C;The Break,&#x201D; a recently separated mother uneasily becomes reconciled to her son&#x2019;s independence while getting used to her own new circumstances. Barbash&#x2019;s 13 sharply eloquent tales are intricately shaded  by his characters&#x2019; desires. --Leah Strauss--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.