Monday, May 19th, 8:00 p.m.
N.S. KöENINGS reads from her book
"THEFT"
In "Setting Up Shop" a young woman is courted by a local entrepreneur who promises to leave his other wives for her. But will she rob others of their happiness to ensure her own? In "Sisters for Shama", a woman's sister who disappeared mysteriously years before - did she steal away or was she stolen? - continues to cast a shadow over her life and her imagination. In the title story, suitcases taken from a bus in an East African city make unlikely allies of a local bus tout and a first-time tourist from Philadelphia.
Writing with keen insight and wit, Köenings paints her settings and characters in gorgeously vivid color. This remarkable collection, showcasing her vibrant voice, is sure to astound.
"This exuberant story collection by N. S. Köenings resembles her first novel, The Blue Taxi, in its irreverent, hilarious and frequently moving take on postcolonial life - and the human condition in general." -- The New York Times
Surprising and inventive -- the collection's richness and complexity
prove Köenings to be a skillful and imaginative storyteller.
-- Publishers Weekly
Five short stories set around the world, from the author of The Blue Taxi (2006). "Pearls to Swine" is a comic gem ... Köenings demonstrates an incisive yet generous understanding of human behavior that is reminiscent of A.S. Byatt and Iris Murdoch, and, like those authors, she is willing to entertain mystery without dissecting it. ... the best entries are outstanding. -- Kirkus Reviews
