In Danielle Lazarin’s collection of short stories Back Talk, she writes of girls and women dealing with shattered families and disrupted relations, and the various trials and tribulations familiar to many of us whether its death, divorce, growing up, or learning to navigate this confusing world.
In the opening story “Appetite,” young Claudia is dealing with the death of her mother to cancer, her father’s grief, her sister coming home from college, and falling in love. It’s so much for Claudia to deal with and Lazarin is sensitive to this young girl’s plight.
In the following chapter, “Floor Plans” two women, one with a failing marriage and one newly pregnant form an odd friendship as one tries to take over the other’s apartment.
Back Talk also offers tales of the danger that can surround women and those they love. In “Hide and Seek,” a mother moves from the city to the suburbs thinking her daughters will be safe only to realize danger is every where. And in the story “Gone” two young girls keep a running list of dead girls only to have it discovered by a parent, who is not pleased.
The loss of a wife and mother is deeply felt in the “Dinosaur.” A young widower tries to cope with his grief and bonds with the teenage girl who babysits his son. He tries to offer advice when it comes to her boyfriend. Will she take it?
Desire both given and received are found in stories like “American Men in Paris I Did Not Love” and “Landscape No. 27.” And the tangled concept of family are expertly portrayed in “Second Chance Family” and “Spider Legs” where young women deal with pregnant sisters, half-siblings, lackluster jobs, and potential romances with older men.
Back Talk is written in what I call a subtle and quite style. The stories are more about showcasing a slice of life, not thrilled plots with a definite beginning, middle, and end. A majority of the stories are several pages long, but some are much less than that (like the title story), and they don’t really grab you. And some readers may be put off by characters who for the most part are white and upper middles class. However, most of Lazarin’s stories are interesting and at times, relatable. If you’re looking for a quick read, you’ll probably enjoy Back Talk.
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