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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

About the author

Jess Walter

Jess Walter has written four novels, most recently The Zero which was shortlisted for the National Book Award. He lives in Spokane, Washington with his family.

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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