“At times heartbreaking, at times hilarious, these stories honour the everyday lives of people who struggle close to the ground. Women try desperately to love men who disappear, who die, who might not even exist, while bruises rise on their skin “like stones emerging from beneath a field.” Carol Malyon has created a world where “lily pads float on the water like flattened hearts.” At the same time, she not only makes her readers laugh when they think they shouldn’t but helps them forgive themselves for doing it.”
–K.D. Miller, author of

“Carol Malyon’s stories are funny, sad, and deeply ironic. In “Marking Time,” as their mother lies dying, her daughters finally want to hear her story. In “Smoke,” a woman trying to quit remembers old tobacco ads. In “Thanksgiving,” a family’s conversation over dinner will make you laugh out loud. These are women’s stories from birth to death that speak to all the pain, love, humour, loss, and acceptance that life holds. These are strong women who keep going in spite of the abuse, hardship, and unanswered questions their lives offer. These are women who survive.”
–Kristin Andrychuk, author of Mother’s Genius