RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewTucked inside this story’s gothic envelope is a tale inspired by a horrific chapter in the history of obstetric medicine ... The genius of the novel is the way Beams continually intertwines fictional elements with true-to-life obstetric practices.
Morgan Thomas
RaveNew York Times Book ReviewThomas writes in a musical, incantatory style that approaches poetry. Their stories aren’t linear, but a series of memoiristic recollections that fit together like beads on a string. Thomas takes extraordinary care with syntax to let queer characters fully express themselves on the page. It’s almost as if Thomas needed to create a new language to tell these stories; ours is still too binary ... These breathlessly imaginative stories are all the more remarkable for the elegant, organic ways in which the author unhooks language from its entrenched assumptions about men and women.
Bernard MacLaverty
RaveThe New York Times Book ReviewThe stories in this Irish author’s new book are about loss, death, the inevitability of grief, the indignities of age and the way a life can suddenly slide into the abyss. It could have been very grim going, but MacLaverty writes with such compassion that his stories never feel bleak; they feel humane. They feel hopeful ... There is humor in these stories, too ... The continuous encounters with such exquisite impressions immerse you in each narrative, leaving you vulnerable to its emotional punch. Blank Pages may explore some of life’s darkest passages, but they feel true as only fiction can, and are never overcome by the darkness.
