Little Nightmares, Little Dreams: Short Stories

"Dazzling . . . Each story is more creative than the last. . . . An incredible debut." -The Pittsburgh Press "A literary ventriloquist . . . Without an agent, tiny Rachel Simon of Abington snared a big New York publisher for the debut collection of her stunning, darkly celebratory short stories. They're unforgettable." -The Philadelphia Inquirer "Raffish and spooky stories . . . She delivers on her promise like a veteran." -San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle "Distinctive, often arresting . . ." -Publishers Weekly "Rachel Simon's stories are quick-witted, sexy, and full of heart. They grab your attention and keep it. This is a remarkable book." -Bestselling author Charles Baxter "Sweet and strong, weird and funny, Little Nightmares, Little Dreams is a very good book." -Bestselling author Mary Gaitskill

Rachel Simon's debut, originally published in 1990, is a collection of stories about the struggle for love and intimacy, told from the point of view of adolescent girls, young mothers, and elderly women. Some are rooted in reality, others in magical realism, with tones ranging from serious to comic, sunny to dark. Throughout, Simon employs such a wide range of voices-sweet, shrewd, wistful, irascible, vulnerable, sensual-the Philadelphia Inquirer hailed her as "a literary ventriloquist." Among the highlights are "Little Nightmares, Little Dreams," in which an elderly couple enters the unknown by trying to dream the same dream; "Paint," in which a runaway-turned-artist's-model provokes protests after her naked body becomes the canvas; "Afterglow," in which a plucky thirteen-year-old playing hooky is held hostage by an escaped convict; "Grandma Death," in which an overbearing grandmother can't seem to go anywhere without someone dropping dead; and "Better Than A Box of Dreams," in which a maid irritated by her boss's dream therapy sessions dreams her own fondest wish back to life. Little Nightmares, Little Dreams was presented on NPR's Selected Shorts and the Lifetime program The Hidden Room.