Mad Hope

“In the stories of Mad Hope, Heather Birrell “nds the heart of her characters and lets them lead us into worlds both recognizable and alarming. We think we know these people but discover that we don't – they are more alive, more real and more complex than we “rst imagined. A high school science teacher and former doctor is forced to re-examine the role he played in Ceausescu's Romania after a student makes a shocking request. The uncertainty, anxiety and anticipation of pregnancy are examined through an online chat group. Parenting is viewed from the perspective of a gay man caring for his friend and her adopted son. A tragic plane crash becomes the basis for a meditation on motherhood and its discontents. In Mad Hope, Birrell uses precise, inventive language to capture the beautiful mess of being human – and more than lives up to her Journey Prize accolades. Birrell's characters come to greet us, undo us, make us yearn and make us smile. 'A collection of 11 stories that beautifully illustrate the fragility of existence … They transport the reader to emotionally corrosive places, yet are alive with a sense of levity even within their darkest passages.' – National Post'This collection requires quiet concentration as each tale resonates like a tiny, perfect novella. Mad Hope is hopeful yet realistic, wordy yet sublime. It contains everything a demanding reader wants from her short fiction – wickedly accurate, open-ended portraits drawn from life.' – Winnipeg Free Press'These people are so wonderfully accurate, so blatantly human … Birrell peels back the layers of civility to expose the dark and messy bits we all hide, but she does so with such finesse that we are simultaneously captivated and repulsed by the intimacy of it all.' – Quill & Quire