Agnes Owens

This complete collection of Agnes Owens novellas opens with Like Birds in the Wilderness, a portrait of Mac a straightforward guy with a talent for bricklaying and a liking for the drink. A Working Mother is a wildly entertaining cautionary tale, while For the Love of Willie takes a sensitive look at teenage pregnancy.

The Complete Novellas

James Kelman

Alasdair Gray

James Kelman, Agnes Owens, Alasdair Gray

Lean Tales

This complete collection of Agnes Owens' five novellas opens with 'Like Birds in the Wilderness', a portrait of brickie Mac. He's a straightforward guy with a talent for laying bricks and a liking for the drink who decides to head to the oil-rich north to seek his fortune. 'A Working Mother' is a wildly entertaining cautionary tale: while Betty's husband, Adam, broods and drinks (to be matched at times by Betty, just to be sociable) she flirts with their best friend Brendan and tries to avoid the roving hands of her new employer. They're all driving Betty crazy. 'For the Love of Willie Owens' takes a sensitive, canny look at wartime teenage pregnancy - a tale as relevant now as ever. 'Bad Attitudes' and 'Jen's Party' conclude the collection: both deadly, darkly funny stories about family relationships and love on the dole.

Agnes Owens: The Complete Novellas

'A terrific collection,' - The Times 'Her black humour and piercing observation bear comparison with the work of Muriel Spark,' - Guardian 'It's almost impossible to pick up this substantial collection and find anything more worthwhile to do for the rest of the day than read it cover to cover,'- Rosemary Goring, The Herald 'The woman is a genius,' - Daily Mail 'Essential reading. It is Agnes Owens at her subtle, concise best - truthful, humane and quite brilliant' - Times Literary Supplement 'Her stories...carry the emotional clout of a knockout punch,' - Observer 'Owens is a rare treasure,' - Allan Massie, The Scotsman 'Acerbic, wicked, utterly honest, sly, gothic, brilliantly black deadpan funny,' - Liz Lochead, Sunday Herald The complete life work of Agnes Owens in short stories - everything from Gentlemen of the West, Lean Tales, People Like That and 14 brand new unpublished stories. Witty and dark, Owens' spare prose shocks and delights. Her talent for pithy, unsettling tales is as sharp as ever, confirming her place as one of Scotland's finest contemporary writers.

Agnes Owens: The Complete Short Stories

Gentlemen of the West

This novel is a tragi-comedy about Betty, a working mother, and her hard-drinking husband, unintelligent lover, decrepit employer, fortune-telling friend and two smart-mouthed children. Angela Owens has also written "Gentlemen of the West" and "Birds in the Wilderness".

Agnes Owens

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