This Unlikely Soil - Softcover

Andrea Routley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1773860984 ISBN 13: 9781773860985

Publisher: Caitlin Press (CA), 2023

Synopsis

THIS UNLIKELY SOIL, the sophomore collection from Lambda Literary Award finalist Andrea Routley, is a quintet of linked novellas exploring the failures of kindness and connection among a rural west-coast community of queer women. In Midden, Naomi, recently split from Rita and apathetically venturing into online dating, sifts through the remains of past relationships after Rita accuses her of emotional abuse. In Appropriate Behaviour, Freddie, suffering from a brain injury, seeks resolution with a neighbour after his dog bites her, but a lifetime of mixed messages yields disastrous results. In Guided Walk, Miriam's latest clumsy infatuation pushes her to change her life, to finally come out on a guided walk with her cousin. When her cousin beats her to it, Miriam descends into pettiness before finding her way out of the woods. THIS UNLIKELY SOIL, a finalist for the 2020 Malahat Review Novella Prize, is the story of Elana, who, following the sudden death of her mother, attempts to manufacture a meaningful relationship with a former partner's teenaged son. The quintet concludes with Damage, the sequel to Midden. Told from Rita's perspective, this story explores classist exploitations within many relationships and asks what our responsibilities are in saying no.

About this title

About the Author

Andrea Routley's work has appeared in numerous literary magazines, including the "Malahat Review" and "Room Magazine," and in 2008, she was shortlisted for the Rona Murray Prize for Literature. She is the founder and editor of "Plenitude Magazine," Canada's queer literary magazine. She edited "Walk Myself Home: An Anthology to End Violence Against Women" (Caitlin Press, 2010), which continues to receive praise from magazines like "Bitch," "Herizons," "Prairie Fire" and the "Vancouver Sun." In 2012, she completed a degree in writing from the University of Victoria. She currently lives in Victoria, BC, with her girlfriend and their ferocious cat, Travis.

Edition details

• Publisher: Caitlin Press (CA)
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1773860984
• ISBN 13: 9781773860985
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216