![]() ![]() They remind me of Jacob, the man in the Bible who wrestled with an Angel all night until the Angel asked to be released. Queer, Black, adolescent, and disabled characters shine with discomfiting rigor, demanding purpose if not freedom from their circumstances. Played out across a range of Southern urban settings from Memphis to Asheville, the stories feature a cast of modern misfits encompassing diverse voices largely missing from O’Connor’s canon. While O’Connor’s characters grapple with elusive redemption, O’Wain’s seek something more evasive - freedom and agency in their lives. However, by the time I reached the title story, I found myself nodding in agreement - the comparison is well-earned. A bold and admiring claim to feature for a debut short story collection, it set a high mark for the narrative that I feared would be unattainable. Randal O’Wain’s Hallelujah Station and Other Stories likening O’Wain’s writing to Flannery O’Connor’s work. I was admittedly skeptical after reading the blurb on the back cover of M. ![]()
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