Ron Rash

"From bestselling and award-winning writer Ron Rash ("One of the great American authors at work today."--The New York Times) comes a collection of ten searing stories and the return of the villainess who propelled Serena to national acclaim, in a long-awaited novella. Ron Rash has long been a revered presence in the landscape of American letters. A virtuosic novelist, poet, and story writer, he evokes the beauty and brutality of the land, the relentless...

In 1929, just as the Depression has hit, newlywed couple George and Serena Pemberton, move from Boston to North Carolina to build a timber empire. Although Serena proves herself to be an important part of their success, overseeing crews and handling every bit of trouble that comes upon them, when Serena discovers she's unable to bear children, it sets her on a path of destruction.

A collection of short stories judged to be the best in America and Canada for 2012 presents a selection of short fiction, along with essays by the three judges and commentary from the twenty prize winners.