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Virgin and Other Stories
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
Set in the American South, at the crossroads of a world that is both secular and devoutly Christian, April Ayers Lawsons stories mine the inner lives of young women and men navigating sexual, emotional, and spiritual awakenings. In the title story, Jake grapples with the growing chasm between him and his wife, Sheila, who was a virgin when they wed. In Three Friends in a Hammock the tension and attraction is palpable between three sexy, insecure young women as they tug and toe the rope of their shared sack. The Way You Must Play Always invites us into the mind of Gretchen, young-looking even for thirteen, as she attends her weekly piano lesson, anxiously anticipating her illicit meeting with Wesley, her instructors adult brother who is recovering from a brain tumor. Conner, the cynical sixteen-year-old narrator of The Negative Effects of Homeschooling, escorts his mink-wearing mother to the funeral of her best friend, Charlene, a woman who was once a man. And in Vulnerability we accompany a young married painter to New York City, lured there by an art dealer and one of his artists. Both are self-involved and have questionable intentions, but nevertheless she is enticed. Nodding to the Southern Gothic but channeling an energy all its own, Virgin and Other Stories is a mesmerizing debut from an uncannily gifted young writer. With self-assurance and sensuality, April Ayers Lawson unravels the intertwining imperatives of intimacysex and love, violation and trust, spirituality and desireeyeing, unblinkingly, what happens when we succumb to temptation.
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review
alisahar
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Mehso-so

I should have loved this. It's a series of short stories with a common thread-- evangelical fundamentalism and its accompanying repression and shame. This is my upbringing so I was excited to read it, but it just didn't speak to me. I didn't come away with the feeling the author understood what she was writing about. That said, as an ex-homeschooler I loved the story about a homeschooler who's PAINFULLY aware of his awkwardness. Quote ⬆️

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jessicarenee
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson

I thought of how we try to tell people, , maybe most especially when we are not sure that person loves us.

Bklover True. 8y
39 likes1 comment
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jessicarenee
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson

He didn't know whether to be irritated or impressed: she was so ethereal, but also kind of a bitch.

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Megabooks
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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This is a local NC/SC border author. Plus I picked up this book at my fav indie! It's fun to read books set where you live. #localauthor #aprilbookshowers

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Megabooks
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this collection I picked up at The Regulator on Tuesday. I love that it's set in NC and SC. The stories often grapple with questions of sexuality in the context of evangelical Christianity. There's two stories about women that married young and how that affected them. There's another about a religious, homeschooled boy whose mother befriends a trans woman. Really good stuff!

85 likes7 stack adds
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OohMsLibrarian
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
Mehso-so

I've been liking short stories a lot so I picked this one up. Good but just not may favorite.

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alisahar
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Here's a #TBRTuesday pick for those of us who love books that reckon with a fundamentalist upbringing. Per the NPR review, she has a short story with an "earnest, homeschooled narrator [who is] touchingly aware of his social awkwardness." Love seeing more literature on the homeschool experience which is near to my heart.

Megabooks I'll have to move this up my TBR! 8y
15 likes1 comment
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LauraReadsTheBooks
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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IT'S A TRAP!

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LonesomeReader
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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These new short stories from the American South by debut author April Ayers Lawson give a refreshing slant on complicated desires & relationships.

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Jokila
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Pickpick

April Ayers Lawson's stories center on themes of sexual awakenings and abuse. The most challenging may be the last, "Vulnerability," which leads a painter infatuated with her art dealer into a paralyzingly, and sadly familiar, situation in which she can't safely revoke consent. Recommended to anyone who enjoys the careful exploration of desire present in the stories of Mary Gaitskill and Edna O'Brien. ?

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autumnprivett
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Pickpick

Many good, yet hard, things in this one. Themes: the danger of silence, the use/misuse of female bodies, guilt + shame brought upon by societal expectations/perceptions, marital rape and present/absent men. The writing feels forced in some places. I found myself having to re-read passages to understand what was going on. Given time and discussion with Josh, I did find I understood the stories better. The title story is especially good.

HeatherG I'm in the middle of this from the library and it is so good. Makes me want to read more short story collections. 8y
autumnprivett @HeatherG Agreed!! Short stories are one of my favorite genres. 8y
82 likes7 stack adds2 comments
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autumnprivett
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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Tonight's reads. I'm soooooo excited about VIRGIN and a Ferrante picture book is an excellent appetizer.

WhatDeeReads Looks very interesting. 8y
QuintusMarcus Will be interested to hear what you think of Virgin! 8y
102 likes7 stack adds2 comments
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josie281
Virgin and Other Stories | April Ayers Lawson
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TBR. Thanks NPR

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