We are Taking Only what We Need

The protagonists, mostly African American women from North Carolina, lose and find love, confront sanity and craziness, and strive to make sense of their lives. The stories blend humor and gravity: A youthful Jehovah's Witness girl goes door-to-door with an expert field-service partner from up north. At a national dog registry's call center, operator Sheila must field a caller's uncomfortable questions under a ruthless supervisor's eye. Forty-something Aunt Ginny surprises the family by finding a husband, but soon she gives them more to talk about. Pulitzer-Prize winner Edward P. Jones writes that “Watts offers an impressive debut that promises only wonderful work to come. “ Fiction writer Marly Swick agrees: “Each story seems, at the same time, to be a breath of fresh air and an instant classic…Watts writes with spunk, eloquence, and grace.” And Author Alyce Miller notes that “Stephanie Powell Watts writes with a penetrating eye for the extraordinary moments in the lives of ordinary people. As I read, I found myself holding my breath.”