Old Babes in the Wood

“There are authors we turn to because they can uncannily predict our future; there are authors we need for their skillful diagnosis of our present; and there are authors we love because they can explain our past. And then there are the outliers: those who gift us with timelines other than the one we’re stuck in, realities far from home. If anyone has proved, over the course of a long and wildly diverse career, that she can be all four, it’s Margaret Atwood. Long may she reign…If you consider yourself an Atwood fan and have only read her novels: Get your act together. You’ve been missing out.”
—Rebecca Makkai, New York Times Book Review

“Old Babes in the Wood is touching, smart, funny, and unique in equal measure…A dazzling mixture of stories that explore what it means to be human while also showcasing Atwood’s gifted imagination and great sense of humor.”
—NPR

“These fifteen stories are a master class in how to write, a rollicking good time, and a deep exploration of human relationships—the damage we do to each other and the ways we come together. Delving into Atwood’s work feels a bit like coming home—you can trust her to tell a good story and not make any gaffes along the way.”
—Brooklyn Rail

“Atwood explores love and loss in this brilliant collection that mixes fantastical stories about the afterlife with realism…She’s writing at the top of her considerable powers here.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The celebrated author’s first collection of short fiction since Stone Mattress (2014)…Honest and artful depictions of aging and loss.”
—Kirkus