{"product_id":"when-trying-to-return-home-isbn-9781640095687","title":"When Trying to Return Home","description":"\u003cb\u003eReading the West Book Awards Nominee\u003cbr\u003eLonglisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' Choice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA dazzling debut collection spanning a century of Black American and Afro-Latino life in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, Louisiana, Miami, and beyond—and an evocative meditation on belonging, the meaning of home, and how we secure freedom on our own terms\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProfoundly moving and powerful, the stories in \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying to Return Home\u003c\/i\u003e dig deeply into the question of belonging. A young woman is torn between overwhelming love for her mother and the need to break free from her damaging influence during a desperate and disastrous attempt to rescue her brother from foster care. A man, his wife, and his mistress each confront the borders separating love and hate, obligation and longing, on the eve of a flight to San Juan. A college student grapples with the space between chivalry and machismo in a tense encounter involving a nun. And in 1930s Louisiana, a woman attempting to find a place to call her own chances upon an old friend at a bar and must reckon with her troubled past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForming a web of desires and consequences that span generations, McCauley’s Black American and Afro–Puerto Rican characters remind us that these voices have always been here, occupying the very center of American life—even if we haven’t always been willing to listen.\u003cb\u003eReading the West Book Awards Nominee\u003cbr\u003eLonglisted for the Aspen Words Literary Prize\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e Editors' Choice\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, A Best Short Fiction Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Week\u003c\/i\u003e, A Most Anticipated Book of 2023\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeople en Español\u003c\/i\u003e, A \u003c\/b\u003eMost Anticipated Books of the Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e's Books by Women of Color to Read This Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLatinx in Publishing\u003c\/i\u003e, A Must-Read Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"McCauley writes with a lovely lyricism and musicality, an adroitness of construction that brings a lightness to her heavier subjects. Within a crowded field of collections that explore family, motherhood and identity, this debut makes the case for one more.\" —Amil Niazi, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"One of the Best New Books to Read in 2023.\" —\u003ci\u003eToday\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Breathtaking . . . Ms. McCauley’s \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying to Return Home \u003c\/i\u003ereminds us that every day of our lives is both dangerous and, despite fear and anxiety, beautiful.\" —\u003ci\u003ePittsburgh Post-Gazette\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The worst thing I have to say about \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying to Return Home \u003c\/i\u003eis that I wish it was longer. Maritza McCauley teases her skills throughout the collection, highlighting her mastery of thrills and heartbreak, all the while incorporating authentic, genuine glimpses into the Black American and Afro-Puerto Rican experience.\" —Lillian Pearce, \u003ci\u003eMichigan Daily News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Powerful . . . It’s great for fans of moving novels that’ll have you questioning your own sense of belonging and hunting for a community of your own.\" —Marilyn La Jeunesse, \u003ci\u003eElle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"These stories will beguile and intrigue. They are equally tender and sharp, gentle and defiant, delicate and resilient.\" —Karla Strand, \u003ci\u003eMs.\u003c\/i\u003e, A Most Anticipated Title of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jennifer Maritza McCauley’s short story collection,\u003ci\u003e When Trying to Return Home\u003c\/i\u003e, takes complex characters and situations and weaves them into a tapestry that provides the reader with an emotional journey. The collection demonstrates McCauley’s dexterity as a writer as she shifts voices, styles, and points of view . . . \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying to Return Home\u003c\/i\u003e stands as one of the best books of the year and is a must-read.\" —Jose B. Gonzalez, \u003ci\u003eLatino Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A dazzling debut collection spanning a century of Black American and Afro-Latino life in Puerto Rico, Pittsburgh, Louisiana, Miami, and beyond—and an evocative meditation on belonging, the meaning of home, and how we secure freedom on our own terms.\" —Kailey Brennan Dellorusso, \u003ci\u003eWrite or Die Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Admiringly gutsy and tender, with flashes of poetry . . . What can’t McCauley do? A writer to watch.\" —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"McCauley’s explosive debut collection crackles with moments of honesty, upheaval, and longing among families . . . Each story is a treasure.\" —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Powerful, propulsive, and at the same time, tender, the stories in \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying to Return Home\u003c\/i\u003e overflow with unforgettable characters and voices. A stunning debut! —Deesha Philyaw, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Lives of Church Ladies\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Singular in power, beauty, wisdom, and depth, these stories blend razor sharp social commentary with an uncanny insight into the human experience. Jennifer Maritza McCauley introduces herself as a writer to behold with wonder.\" —Margaret Wilkerson Sexton, author of \u003ci\u003eOn the Rooftop\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"McCauley is a powerful literary medium, able to speak in the voices of an astonishing range of characters, and to make us feel their presence in the room.\" —Debra Dean, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Madonnas of Leningrad\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Mirrored World\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eWhen Trying To Return Home\u003c\/i\u003e live a cast of some of the most memorable characters and predicaments I've encountered in fiction. These interlinked stories will introduce you to a mother who fights to keep her two children close to her; a nun who considers her options for the future and her boisterous, ever-protective sister; a boy who meets a discarded family member; an adoptive mother whose will angers her heirs––just to name some characters. Jennifer Maritza McCauley is an incredibly gifted writer and I can't wait to see what she shares with us next.\" —De'Shawn Charles Winslow, author of \u003ci\u003eDecent People\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This collection is a gorgeous kaleidoscope, audacious and wise, capturing and releasing the ways that love assaults us. McCauley’s stories will split your heart, but they will also, lovingly, fuse it back together.\" —Ivelisse Rodriguez, author of PEN\/Faulkner Award for Fiction finalist \u003ci\u003eLove War Stories\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eJennifer Maritza McCauley\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer, poet, and university professor. She has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Kimbilio, CantoMundo and the Sundress Academy for the Arts. She holds an MFA from Florida International University and a PhD in creative writing and literature from the University of Missouri. The author of the cross-genre collection SCAR ON\/SCAR OFF, she is an assistant professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.","brand":"Counterpoint","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303786762469,"sku":"NP9781640095687","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781640095687.jpg?v=1767743995","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/when-trying-to-return-home-isbn-9781640095687","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}