My Body To You.

Iowa City, IA University Of Iowa Press, 1993. Hardcover First Edition [1993]; First Printing indicated. First Edition [1993]; First Printing indicated. Near Fine in Fine DJ: The Book shows only minute indications of use: just a hint of shelving wear; two tiny, faint coffee-like spots of stain at the fore-edge and a barely discernible smudge at the top edge; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. The DJ is flawless; unclipped; mylar-protected. Virtually 'As New'. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo.196pp. Iowa Short Fiction Award Winner. Hardback with DJ. Like no other writer I have come across, Elizabeth Searle has a way of talking about the body that reminds me I have one, both in good and in fascinatingly disturbing ways. And her evocation of the past! The characters' memories are their own, but I found myself saying, my God, was this woman in my house in 1965 with me, watching my own parents and trying to understand what the hell was going on? Eerie! Just beautiful writing - every sentence has her mark on it - and terrific storytelling. Through the fresh poetry of her words, Searle draws the reader into the literal lives of her powerful imagination in this award winning collection of short stories. These stories engage your senses - hearing, sight, taste, smell - through objects, images, and sensations that cause immediate, sometimes visceral, reactions in the reader. Frequently, an image in one story will further develop a theme that Searle explored in one of the other stories, enhancing the experience of reading the collection. Searle captures raw female sexuality, genuine passion, complex family dynamics, and the often rocky emotional terrain of our lives. She tends to write about women who are underdogs and outcasts (or feel that way), flawed and painfully honest - more honest than most of us could be outside our own heads. Whether the story spans a lifetime at the dinner table or the time it takes to travel to the airport, Searle's narrative slips along to a satisfying conclusion. Along the way, the reader is treated to intensely personal, sometimes painful, details of an everyday life. You can almost taste the ice cream. Searle never puts distance between the reader and the character, she holds nothing back. Perhaps this you-are-there style may deter some readers but those of us who love language will find these varied stories most rewarding. Searle's stories feel true!