Lies of the Saints

The star of a local radio call-in show gets thrown badly off stride when her spicy ex-husband starts wooing her on air. A rushed and frazzled mother finds herself accidentally re-enacting the miracle of loaves and fishes at work, and sets off a revolution in her family. A man casually plays the lottery, wins $13 million dollars, and calls off his wedding, only to be told that the lottery ticket was a prank played by his best man.

In these nine stories, familiar American lives are defamiliarized. Little by little, one wheel drifts off the track, and the traditional support posts of family, religion and good hard work all start to give way. What is left of us when our security gives way? And where is our unexpected strength revealed?

Lies of the Saints

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Lies of the Saints

The star of a local radio call-in show gets thrown badly off stride when her spicy ex-husband starts wooing her on air. A rushed and frazzled mother finds herself accidentally re-enacting the miracle of loaves and fishes at work, and sets off a revolution in her family. A man casually plays the lottery, wins $13 million dollars, and calls off his wedding, only to be told that the lottery ticket was a prank played by his best man.

In these nine stories, familiar American lives are defamiliarized. Little by little, one wheel drifts off the track, and the traditional support posts of family, religion and good hard work all start to give way. What is left of us when our security gives way? And where is our unexpected strength revealed?

Reviews

Ms. McGraw excels at marital dialog….For a slim collection, Lies of the Saints feels gratifyingly substantial
New York Times Book Review