Happiness Is a Chemical in the Brain Stories [Paperback]

Populating a small town in the Pacific Northwest, the characters in Lucia Perillos story collection all resist giving the world what it expects of them and are surprised when the world comes roaring back.Relentlessly compassionate, this is a collection for the mistake makers and trying-as-hard-as-we-canners of the worldwhich probably means all of us.Darned if this book isnt more cheerful than anything else. Its very funny and often beautiful, though not in the corny way of fiction that glorifies bad behavior or romanticizes hardship. Its deeper than that, in the way that earned wisdom always is. . . . [Perillo] brings to these stories the poets gift for creating images in the mind so apt, theyre surprising, even funny.Starred review. Emotionally unflinching stories of considerable power, wonder and humor.Starred review. [Perillo] strikes a glorious balance between wryly intelligent prose and emotional force, recalling Alice Munro at her best.Starred review. These tales are as beautifully patterned as poetry, saturated in feeling, open to ambiguity, and laced with electrifying images.A stunning debut from an award-winning poet.