Trajectory

Thoughtful, soulful . . . It will abruptly break your heart. That's what Richard Russo does, without pretension or fuss, time and time again. -Jennifer Senior, The New York Times [Trajectory is] so rich and flavorsome that the temptation is to devour it all at once. I can't in good conscience advise otherwise. -Laura Collins-Hughes, The Boston Globe Russo develops these stories with smooth assurance, allowing readers to discover layers of meaning in his perfectly calibrated narration. -Publishers Weekly Russo rarely wastes a word, interweaving details and dialogue into master classes on storytelling. -Kirkus Reviews (starred) Russo's [characters] are sharply in view, and like opera singers performing quintets or sestets, they are all vital contributors. Equally significantly, their problems spring from their personalities, and the resolutions are heart-warming because they do indeed feel like real possibilities. . . . All four stories are challenging because they raise questions about why we live our lives the way we do, and if that's all right.-Claire Hopley, The Washington Times Russo has fashioned tales compact enough to make an immediate impression (and to read in a single sitting), but rich [in] believable characters, graceful plotting and pointed dialogue.-Peter Tonguette, The Columbus Dispatch Entertaining and compellingly provocative. . . . vibrant narratives with distinctive characters.-Robert Allen Papinchak, New York Journal of Books