Unnatural Habitats & Other Stories

by Angela Mitchell

Overview

Unnatural Habitats and Other Stories is collection of connected stories set in the Ozarks that explores the relationships between people and place and the changing culture of the rural America. These stories show characters grappling with a growing crime culture in a place that had previously felt untouched by the world outside, forcing them to reevaluate their sense of right and wrong. A land of dying farms with an aging population— and little opportunity available for the young who remain— poverty is at the heart of many of the conflicts. But even those characters who enjoy a certain wealth and privilege find themselves at odds— and out of step— with parents, children, lovers, friends, and neighbors. This collection asks what it means to belong to a certain place.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780998801469
Publisher:	WTAW Press
Publication date:	10/10/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	190
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Angela Mitchell's short fiction has appeared in Colorado Review, New South, and Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies. She lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

"Mitchell is a gifted storyteller who offers glimpses of her characters at their most vulnerable and most vicious. As a result, it’s impossible not to identify with them, and it is even more impossible not to like them. This is a bold and well-crafted debut."—Colorado Review

“Don't start any of the stories in Unnatural Habitats if you're in a hurry, because once you've read that first sentence, you will be hooked and unable to do anything else until you get to the end. This is an exciting debut by a young writer with loads of talent and plenty of heart. Highly recommended.” —Steve Yarbrough, author of The Unmade World

​“The stories in Unnatural Habitats remind us that mistakes never look like mistakes, in the moments we make them. These characters do whatever they think they need to win or simply survive, only sometimes stepping back to see how decisions echo down through years and even generations. Angela Mitchell pulls off the wizardry of inviting the reader to look deeply inside people who would often prefer not to look closely at themselves, afraid of what they might see. These characters and stories will stick with me.” —Caitlin Horrocks, author of This Is Not Your City

From the Publisher

2018-09-17

Debut author Mitchell offers a collection of seven Arkansas-based tales that explore the somber sides of marriage, familial relationships, and everyday life.

In the opening story, "Animal Lovers," a woman named Dee insists on taking custody of the dogs, Ralph and Mickey, when she divorces her husband, Carter. But when the canines' behavioral issues escalate, she thinks that she might be better off without them, after all. Mitchell's book is filled with characters relentlessly finding flaws in themselves and others—including flaws that aren't there. For example, Tonya in "Pyramid Schemes" is certain that her spouse, Randy, disapproves of her weight, although he's given no indication of that. Likewise, in "Retreat," Layton suspects that his co-worker Gary is one of the three baseball-bat-wielding assailants who beat him in a dark parking lot months before, though he has no proof of this. These imperfect characters are continually intriguing, as is the conflicted protagonist who robs a bank in "This Trailer is Free," who's unquestionably sympathetic. However, these stories aren't entirely humorless. High schooler Libby, for instance, narrates "Not from Here" in a delightfully blunt voice; regarding Ronnie, a bus driver she befriends, she notes, "I think sometimes that he might make a good husband, but I'm not in love with him and I don't expect I will be." The author's stark writing style examines details with an unflinching eye, much as the characters do, and the occasional moments of violence are haunting. The stories are linked not only by their common location, but also by recurring players, which allows for unexpected, additional character development. For instance, Dee returns in "Retreat," which further delves into a relationship that was mentioned in her earlier tale.

Engaging stories that highlight extraordinary moments in the lives of ordinary people.

Kirkus Reviews