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Love Is No Small Thing: Stories

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Meghan Kenny's debut collection, Love Is No Small Thing, gives readers an assembly of keenly drawn characters each navigating the world looking for an understanding of love in its many forms and complexities--be it romantic, parental, elusive, or eternal. A father may teach his teenage son "Hearts break easy," but as Kenny's characters discover, knowing an important truth about love is no substitute for experiencing it.



In the title story, a woman learns of her boyfriend's infidelity on Halloween night and contemplates lost years, concealments, and the difficulty of walking away. An Idaho cameraman and his cross-dressing, sky-diving son try to find common ground in "All These Lovely Boys." A first date at the Corkscrew Swamp Bird Sanctuary becomes something else altogether in "Sanctuary," and in "Heartbreak Hotel," a father swaps stories of disappointments and losses with his daughter and an unwanted passenger on a cross-country road trip. Throughout this collection, Kenny's characters try to bridge the gap between what they expected of their lives and what they have received. They struggle to understand their own identities and the value of the relationships they have or want, with results that are funny and poignant in equal measure.

Employing minimalist language and character-driven storytelling, Meghan Kenny grapples with love in all its messiness and uncertainty, revealing vital truths about the vagaries of the human heart and establishing Kenny as a vibrant new voice in the American literary landscape.

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 6, 2017

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About the author

Meghan Kenny

6 books36 followers
Meghan Kenny was raised in Connecticut and New Hampshire. She received her BA in English and creative writing from Kenyon College, and her MFA in fiction from Boise State University.

She was the 2008-2009 Tickner Fellow at the Gilman School, a Bernard O'Keefe Scholar at Bread Loaf, a Peter Taylor Fellow at The Kenyon Review Writers' Workshop, and has held residencies at Vermont Studio Center and La Muse in France. She has lived in France, Japan, and Peru, and has taught writing and literature to grades 4-12 for Writers in the Schools Program in Idaho, Writers at Harriman, Gerstell Academy, Gilman School, Boise State University, Towson University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Gotham Writers' Workshop online. She currently teaches at Lancaster Country Day School in Pennsylvania.

Her stories have appeared in literary journals such as The Gettysburg Review, Cincinnati Review, and Hobart, among others. She was awarded the 2005 Iowa Review Award for her story, "The Driest Season", which was a Pushcart Prize Special Mention, and her story "Heartbreak Hotel" won 2nd place in Glimmer Train's 2012 Fiction Open. She has written a novel titled Away Toward Home and a short story collection titled Love is No Small Thing, and is seeking publication for both books.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Profile Image for Molly.
89 reviews2 followers
July 18, 2017
Thanks to Kenny, I am back on a short story kick. These stories got better and stronger with each new chapter. I hate to say she is so good at the show, not tell, but this is especially important in stories about love, and she nails it. Each varied character is well developed and lovable, even when they are not. And as luck would have it, Kenny is reading at a winery near me next weekend. Excited to hear her voice and learn a little more about her process.
Profile Image for Danielle Girl.
Author 16 books59 followers
June 2, 2017
I forgot how fantastic short stories are. Perfect reading before bedtime. Author has a wonderful talent for painting vivid scenes, felt like I was transported to each and every location. Romance/Love is not my usual go-to, but I really, really enjoyed this collection of lives - some amusing, some heartbreaking, some poignant.
Profile Image for Jessie Reed.
109 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2017
This book is different than the books I usually read. It's packed with so much emotion I had to pace myself through the stories. The writers voice made me experience the pain and confusion that accompanies the love in these stories. This is one that makes you feel the situation, I'm sure I won't stop thinking of it for a long time. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Catherine Broadhead.
4 reviews1 follower
May 10, 2018
I couldn't put this book down! The best collection of short stories I've read in years! I cannot wait to Kenny to write more.
Profile Image for Mrs. Chow.
88 reviews8 followers
March 10, 2017
A beautiful, poignant collection of stories from a gifted writer. Emotionally compelling characters in a variety of well-crafted settings and situations. Images that will stick with you long after you've finished reading.
Profile Image for David.
2 reviews12 followers
March 27, 2017
This collection by Meghan Kenny made me remember how much I enjoy short stories. In a succinct but expressive style, these poignant vignettes examine the inner intricacies and emotional nuances of each character and pull you into their respective worlds with careful and colorful writing. Kenny's words seem to be as thoughtfully arranged as poetry, and a single sentence can catch you off guard with a surge of emotion seemingly from out of the blue. Wonderful reading!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews

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