Short novels and novellas Archives

Small Things Like These

by Claire Keegan

This novella is set in Ireland in 1985, following Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in a small town. As Christmas approaches, Bill has a disturbing experience when he makes a discovery at a nearby convent. Keegan's writing is beautiful and atmospheric.

Chirp

The Swimmers

by Julie Otsuka

This 2022 release made me an instant Julie Otsuka fan: I laughed, I cried, I dove into her backlist. This slim story begins with the collective narrative of the devoted regular swimmers at a community pool. But one day a crack appears in the bottom of the pool and it's soon closed to the swimmers. No longer able to gather for their laps, the swimmers are forced to individually deal with the grave disruption to their routine, and no one is affected more than elderly Alice, whose story takes over the narrative. The surprising pivot from snappy social commentary to a devastating portrait of encroaching dementia is effective and moving. Otsuka is a master of the tiny details throughout, be they witty or heartbreaking.

Recitatif

by Toni Morrison

The only short story Toni Morrison ever wrote. She described it as “an experiment in the removal of all racial codes from a narrative about two characters of different races for whom racial identity is crucial.” It's an ingenious little puzzle of a story about two young girls named Twyla and Roberta; one is black and the other white. They meet in a shelter when they are eight years old, wards of the state because one mother "danced all night" and the other mother was sick. They became fast friends during the four months they lived there and their paths intermittently cross during the following decades. Morrison never answers the question she poses, leaving it to the reader to decide which is black and which is white. A book club could wrestle with the story forever. My bound version contains a wonderful introduction by Zadie Smith, but because the essay gives an awful lot away I urge you to read the story first. 83 pages, though the story itself is only 40.

A Spindle Splintered

by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia Gray’s 21st birthday is set to be her last due to a rare condition where no one survives past the age of 21. Her best friend Charm gifts her with a full sleeping beauty experience, she wakes up in the realm of Sleeping Beauty. A fun, snarky reimagined fairy tale that makes for one delightful escapist read.

One Woman Show: A Novel

by Christine Coulson

WSIRN guest and literary agent Elisabeth Weed recommended this book, which she called a good example of a title that "has a thimble full of weird." Coulson worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for 25 years, where one of her last jobs was writing the 75-word wall labels for the museum's new British galleries. She imagined a novel in that form, and this life story of Kitty Whitaker is the result: a sly and stylish novel told solely through museum wall labels about a 20th-century woman who transforms herself over the course of her lifetime. This short novel could easily be read in one sitting, and is an excellent pick for structure nerds or art and design fans.

Loved and Missed

by Susie Boyt

This slim British novel packs a big punch and is sure to be on my best-of-the-year list. In this first-person family drama, we meet a grandmother who raises her granddaughter from infancy because her daughter, who's been struggling with addiction for nearly a decade, is unable to do so. The story is brutal and tender, gorgeously written, and surprisingly funny for a book that required multiple tissues. I appreciated that the prose, while never plodding or needlessly complex, did invite a close reading: I am inclined to be a fast reader, but I consciously slowed down so I didn't miss anything. While the story is set roughly in the present day—just before the dawn of the iPhone—it has an old-fashioned feel to it; if I didn't know better I might have guessed it was a Persephone title. Heads up for multiple content warnings: some are evident from the plot description but some took me by surprise.

The Hero of This Book

by Elizabeth McCracken

In this novel written as a memoir, Elizabeth McCracken, (or perhaps more accurately, the character that we feel is Elizabeth McCracken, shares about her larger-than-life mother, the titular hero of this book. She begins her story in summer 2019, one year after her mother died: she's traveled to London, a place that holds many memories of the trips McCracken and her mother once traveled to together. She interweaves stories from her mother’s life, including her experience of disability, with her present day narrative of experiencing London without her now. Through her insightful anecdotes and introspective reflections, McCracken makes you wish you’d had the chance to know the complicated, charming, occasionally infuriating woman that was her mother.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

by Joan Lindsay

In this short Australian classic, a group of girls from the Appleyard College for Young Ladies venture out for a picnic at Hanging Rock on a beautiful afternoon. Three of the girls set out for a hike, and are never seen again. As I was reading this short novel, it strongly reminded me of something I'd read before, but I couldn't figure out WHAT. I finally realized it wasn't a book at all—it was the TV show Lost! (If that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is.)

Elena Knows

by Claudia Piñeiro

Piñeiro is a bestselling Argentinian crime author but that’s only scratching the surface of what she accomplishes in this tale. After her daughter Rita is found dead, the police write it off as a suicide but Elena is sure there’s more to it. After all, Elena has advanced Parkinson’s and Rita was her caregiver. Her investigation is hampered by the short blocks of time her medication affords her to be more mobile, offering insights into the ableism, ageism, and classism wielded by society. This is a priority read for me as it was highly recommended by a reader I trust. Translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle. 143 pages.

Passing

by Nella Larsen

This page-turner was not at all what I expected. Written in 1929, set during the Jazz Age in Harlem, this is the story of two childhood friends who reconnect after choosing very different paths. Both women are Black and light-skinned. Clare has chosen to pass for white, and is even married to a white man who knows nothing of her heritage or history. Irene is married to a successful African-American physician. As the women spend more time together, Irene's life starts looking better and better to Clare ... and what unfolds is a battle of wits in a story akin to a psychological thriller. The story feels so fresh and unexpected, I couldn't believe it was written nearly a hundred years ago. Readers have suggested this as an excellent flight pick for The Vanishing Half. Rebecca Hall's film-writing debut premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

The English Understand Wool

by Helen DeWitt

17-year-old Marguerite lives a lavish lifestyle in Marrakech, raised by a French mother and English father who instill in her the importance of having “good taste.” But how far does that lesson go when she learns her whole life has been a lie?

Ring Shout

by P. Djèlí Clark

When Beth recommended this in a Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club discussion thread, my husband Will happened to be logged in and added it to his TBR right away. The horror genre isn't my jam, but when Beth compared this to Sarah Gailey and Ralph Ellison, it piqued my interest, too. Described as "dark historical fantasy," this novella takes place in Prohibition Georgia, where the Ku Klux Klan members literally become demons after watching The Birth of a Nation. Bootlegger Maryse Boudreaux and a motley crew of fighters set out to save the world from this hellish nightmare come to life.

Eastbound

by Maylis de Kerangal

Maylis de Kerangal has been one of my favorites ever since I stumbled upon Painting Time (still my favorite of her work). This novella follows two fugitives on the Trans-Siberian Railway: twenty-year-old Aliocha is desperate to get out of Russian military service but all of his attempts have failed; Hélène is a French woman who also wants to flee Siberia. Together they’ll attempt to escape despite language barriers and the ever-present danger of being caught. Translated from the French by Jessica Moore.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

by Becky Chambers

Members of the Modern Mrs Darcy team rejoiced over this brand new novella from one of our favorite sci-fi authors. With her knack for combining quirky characters with surprising science fiction plots, Chambers helps us step outside the “real world” to examine modern society with fresh eyes. In the first installment of her next series, a tea monk dedicates their life to comforting humans in times of need, until they meet a robot friend with an important question. Endearing and delightful, this novella isn’t just for sci-fi lovers. In fact, Chambers dedicates it to “anybody who could use a break.”

Short novels and novellas

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th