Why They Run the Way They Do

February 15, 2016
The 12 stories in Perabo's sublime third collection feature characters young and old grappling with watershed moments in their lives. In The Payoff, two students embark on a misguided attempt to blackmail their teacher and principal after stumbling upon the pair's affair. When the plan goes inevitably awry, the young narrator finds herself forced to confront her own misgivings. Michael, the Armadillo follows two parents after their young daughter is given a stuffed animal she innocently names after her mother's ex-lover, unleashing disconcerting memories between husband and wife. In tales of mortality, adolescence, aging, or relational strife, Perabo portrays characters whose internal justifications belie their external actions. Shelter presents a headstrong woman who uses her unexpected role as a kennel owner to shrug off the responsibilities associated with her own health and relationships. The solemn A Proper Burial reveals the tormented dissolution of a marriage alongside the death of a beloved family pet. Perado's witty, nuanced narratives deftly explore her characters' inner voices as well as the darker conversations and realities of everyday life.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)