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  • Published: 3 July 2014
  • ISBN: 9780241003862
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 175

We Live In Water




From the bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins comes a darkly funny, utterly compelling collection of stories about the American family

We Live In Water is a world of lost fathers and redemptive con artists, of personal struggles and broken men.

In 'Thief', a blue-collar worker turns unlikely detective to find out which of his kids is stealing from the family holiday fund. 'Anything Helps' sees a homeless man try to raise money to buy his son the new Harry Potter book; and in 'Virgo', a newspaper editor attempts to get back at his superstitious ex-girlfriend by screwing with her horoscope.

We Live in Water is a wildly original, brilliantly realized contemplation of our times.

  • Published: 3 July 2014
  • ISBN: 9780241003862
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 175

Praise for We Live In Water

These stories are very, very good. If you like to read, you'll like this book

Publishers Weekly

A witty and sobering snapshot of recession-era America

Kirkus Reviews

Wildly entertaining and thought-provoking

Booklist

A genius of the modern American movement

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jess Walter has impressive command of the short story...Since 13 stories should be plenty for a collection, maybe the best compliment we might pay the author is to object that this book is too short

Lionel Shriver, Financial Times

A more expansive, wittier Raymond Carver

Metro

One for the hols

Sunday Times Style

Clever, original and a little dark

Grazia

There's no sudden resolution, but there's enough wit to help you get through the messy bits

Shortlist

A collection of punchy stories . . . Sold and sold

Esquire

Darkly amusing . . . Suffused with caustic wit, quirky descriptions and sharp details. We Live In Water never falls short of being highly engaging

Sunday Times