Fresh, tough, and thoroughly addictive, this sparkling debut calls to mind the beloved and bestselling works of Miriam Toews and Mark Haddon.

With an irresistible combination of playfulness and empathy, these effervescent, sometimes heartbreaking tales of underachieving adults, unfairly burdened children, and the unaccountably hopeful of all ages explore the unexpected moments of grace in lives that are too often defined by loss.

A punky young woman comes to terms with the accident that took away all of her family except the grandmother who believes she is a bird; an aging prospector—a woman—discovers that a physical "curse" might have been something of a blessing all along. "The Indian Act" is a compact coming-of-age story, charting the journey of boy who, though bounced through many foster homes, holds on to the dream of love and unconditional acceptance, and in the novella "River Rising," three generations in a small town struggle their way toward joy despite the accidents of fate and the foolish mistakes that almost, but not quite, derail their lives.