That theme reverberates throughout Nuri’s collection, delivering a welcome thematic complexity when the prose and characters tend toward simplicity. Nuri digs into the intricacies of power and control, whether it’s the shallow musings of Ellen, who claims enjoyment from repeating vicious gossip, or the cunning Veta, a woman who “destroy[s] other people's lives without the slightest scruple.” In response, Nuri offers up a study on the persistent archetypes that drive sociocultural subtleties. “Hate” finds married couple Kira and Kim maneuvering their roles around societal expectations, later fragmented by shocking revelations that rock Kira’s very identity, forcing her to find strength in her own self-confidence and allowing her to feel “needed, valuable and useful” once again.

Nuri shapes these tales with an undercurrent of Christian faith, especially as a wellspring of empowerment for the collection’s women to survive and overcome their challenges, as in “The Story,” where “beacon of light” Sonya, devastated by her mother’s cancer diagnosis and treatment options, receives a last-minute miracle and a new beginning of her own. Readers who enjoy Christian fiction paired with darker, contemplative themes on power, destiny, and self-reliance will be intrigued.

Takeaway: Intriguing collection that digs into the complexity of power and control.

Comparable Titles: Halle Hill’s Good Women, Julie Orringer.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B-