"Ann Beattie at her most magnificent...Her first new collection in ten
years...These tales explore the range of emotional states the author is
famous for: longing, disaffection, ambivalence, love, regret. It's nice
to hear her voice again" (People).
"A peerless, contemplative page-turner" (Vanity Fair), The State
We're In is about how we live in the places we have chosen--or been
chosen by. It's about the stories we tell our families, our friends, and
ourselves, the truths we may or may not see, how our affinities unite or
repel us, and where we look for love.
Many of these stories are set in Maine, but The State We're In is
about more than geographical location. Some characters have arrived in
Maine by accident, others are trying to escape. The collection is woven
around Jocelyn, a wry, disaffected teenager living with her aunt and
uncle while attending summer school. As in life, the narratives of other
characters interrupt Jocelyn's, sometimes challenging, sometimes
embellishing her view.
"Ann Beattie slips into a short story as flawlessly as Audrey Hepburn
wore a Givenchy gown: an iconic presentation, each line and fold falling
into place but allowing room for surprise" (O, The Oprah Magazine).
"Splendid...memorable...every page...fitted out with the blessed finery
of hypnotic storytelling" (The Washington Post), these stories
describe a state of mind, a manner of being. The State We're In
explores, through women's voices, the unexpected moments and glancing
epiphanies of daily life.
