A History of Heartache

From a celebrated journalist, and rooted in our rich tradition of regional short fiction reminiscent of Breece D'J Pancake and Flannery O'Connor, comes a searing story collection set in north Texas that's as vivid and character-driven as his reportage . . . Loosely inspired by the 1996 heroin epidemic in the grittier suburbs of Dallas, this gripping collection of short stories — many published previously in leading literary journals — are intimate, honest, and character-driven, and don't shy away from difficult themes. From protagonists struggling with the effects of alcoholism and unemployment, to neo-Nazi skinheads in Dallas, to conspiracy theories, these various colorful characters are depicted with clear-eyed compassion, as well as moments of resilience and even humor, as they work their way to a transcendence of their current, very American, very Texan, situation.