Description
A series of unusual incidents-a daughter's elopement, a sobering holiday trip, a vicious attack by the family dog, a lightning strike-provokes a mother of five to abandon her children. An oil rigger, inspired by sun-induced hallucinations, rescues his estranged wife, who doesn't appreciate his chivalry. In the wake of his father's and brother's deaths, a teenage boy finds a precarious solace working with his mother at a country-western bar. A cosmetics salesman schemes to buy Costa Rica and flirts dangerously with mobsters in Las Vegas. A woman fleeing her fourth marriage arrives at a complicated understanding of love and responsibility.
Railroad worker and conman, grieving son and battered wife-these characters explore the limits of family fragility and resilience. Their stories-suggesting unlikely connections between comedy and pathos, cruelty and generosity-promise a hard-won dignity and hope.
This debut collection of linked stories spans three generations in the life of one West Texas family.
About the Author
K. L. Cook is the author of two other award-winning books of fiction, The Girl from Charnelle and Love Songs for the Quarantined. He teaches creative writing and literature at Prescott College and teaches in the MFA Writing Program at Spalding University.
Reviews
"In Cook's hands, the series of linked stories introducing us to three generations of Tates fairly thrums with keen insight borne of uncommon wisdom and unwavering compassion for his characters... As each of the Tates takes his or her turn in the spotlight, we come to know a family shaken by violence, overcome by sorrow, and most of all, driven by a palpable longing for something or someone always just out of reach. Cook's debut collection is a breathtakingly haunting and magical tapestry of human emotions."-Booklist Booklist "Cook is subtle as he illuminates the fragile connections between men and women. A family's trajectory is viewed through a kaleidoscope of time in stories that make an immensely satisfying whole."-Kirkus (starred review) Kirkus "Cook's debut short story cycle deftly chronicles the often fractious and brutal lives of the Tates of West Texas, who are indelibly scarred when the family matriarch clandestinely boards a bus one morning, never to return."-Library Journal Library Journal "Quizzically touching and genuine, Cook invites us to enjoy whatever happiness we find, just as his ever-unsuspecting characters do. When we put down the book, we consider our own warped and accidental familial connections and wonder for what strange and beautiful misfortune our children's children might blame us."-Dustin Michael, Rain Taxi -- Dustin Michael Rain Taxi "The dozen interlocking stories in K. L. Cook's Last Call are highly crafted, without an unneeded word or a scene that does not contribute to the whole, with actions, objects and dialogue that sting with significance."-Martin Naparsteck, Salt Lake Tribune -- Martin Naparsteck Salt Lake Tribune "Cook understands the intersection between coincidence and insight, and he demonstrates a flair for picking out those random and nonsensical moments ... that, when paired with a narrator's retrospect, create meaning."-Nicole Backens, Colorado Review -- Nicole Backens Colorado Review
Book Information
ISBN 9780803215405
Author K. L. Cook
Format Hardback
Page Count 253
Imprint University of Nebraska Press
Publisher University of Nebraska Press
Weight(grams) 488g
