Cover Before Striking

Starred review from February 9, 2015
In 13 strong and distinctive pieces, Uppal appears to regard the short story as a superbly elastic form and an inviting opportunity to explore familiar human circumstances from fresh angles. She is versatile, adept at whatever genre she choosesâfrom the straight-up vengeance comedy of âBlind Spot" and the memorable four-sectioned family portrait in âRecipes for Dirty Laundry" to âThe Man Who Loved Cats," a mysterious fable about an elderly father, his three daughters and a house full of felines. The stories exhibit a fascination with descents into states of near-madness. A woman forms a protective relationship with bathroom fungus in âMycosis," and the institutionalized pyromaniac diarist of the title story recalls her toxic engagements with men. In âThe Lilies" an avid gardener finds herself tipsily at odds with âviolent flowers." In âThree Days Left," an unhappy ad agency executive of spends a listless vacation at home but winds up spending dark hours handcuffed to his fence. Boldly exploring story shape, tone, and perspective, Uppal grounds the empathetic stories in real-life circumstancesâlike grief and loss. The sudden death of loved ones in three poignant talesââAt Your Service," âVertigo," and âWind Chimes"âshowcases the author's technical skills and sheer inventiveness. Agent: Hilary McMahon, Westwood Creative Artists.

April 1, 2015

"With all the warnings, no one seems to be listening," says the narrator in Uppal's incendiary title story, a Gloria Vanderbilt Short Fiction Prize winner that parallels one woman's pyromania with her quest for sex. Matchbooks are homey if dangerous little things, and throughout the author locates danger in homey little settings; in "Recipes for Dirty Laundry," family tensions are evoked by instructions for removing rust or wine stains. VERDICT Prolific poet Uppal, whose memoir Projection was short-listed for the Governor General's Award, effectively captures our off-kilter moments in language both lyric and accessible.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.