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Terry McMillan, the acclaimed author of bestselling novels like Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, is known for her engaging storytelling and vibrant characters. Over the years, she has recommended a variety of short fiction books that reflect her love for sharp, concise narratives. Here are eight short fiction books recommended by McMillan that showcase her appreciation for strong voices and impactful storytelling.
1. The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street is a powerful coming-of-age story about Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago. The novel, structured as a series of vignettes, explores themes of identity, community, and belonging. McMillan has praised Cisneros for her ability to create rich, emotional stories within a small number of pages, a hallmark of great short fiction. McMillan admires Cisneros's lyrical writing and how she captures the complexities of growing up in a marginalized community in just a few short chapters.
2. Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
Jesus' Son is a collection of loosely connected short stories about addiction, survival, and redemption. Johnson's protagonist, known only as “Fuckhead,” navigates a chaotic world filled with drugs, violence, and desperation. The stories are dark but infused with a haunting beauty that resonates long after reading. McMillan appreciates Johnson's raw, honest portrayal of flawed characters and their search for meaning in a harsh world. She has often spoken about the power of stories that reveal the inner turmoil of characters.
3. We the Animals by Justin Torres
We the Animals is a semi-autobiographical novel that follows three brothers growing up in a mixed-race family in upstate New York. The story is told in brief, poetic chapters that detail the boys' struggles with their identities and the complex relationship with their parents. Torres’s prose is sharp and emotional, capturing childhood innocence while hinting at the darkness beneath the surface. McMillan is drawn to stories about family dynamics and has lauded Torres's evocative writing style, noting how it beautifully conveys both the joy and pain of growing up.
4. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies is a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories that explore the lives of Indian immigrants in America. The stories delve into themes of displacement, identity, and the complexities of cultural assimilation. Lahiri's ability to evoke deep emotions in her stories has made her one of McMillan's favorite short fiction writers. McMillan admires Lahiri's gift for subtlety and her portrayal of the immigrant experience. She appreciates how Lahiri captures universal emotions in concise, beautifully crafted stories.
5. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Julie Otsuka’s The Buddha in the Attic tells the collective story of Japanese "picture brides" who immigrated to America in the early 20th century. Written in the first-person plural, the novel blends the voices of many women to narrate their experiences, from hopeful beginnings to the eventual internment during World War II. McMillan is captivated by Otsuka's ability to use collective narration to tell individual stories, creating a unique, rhythmic prose that is both poetic and profound.
6. The Lover by Marguerite Duras
The Lover is an autobiographical novel set in French colonial Vietnam, recounting the passionate affair between a young French girl and a wealthy Chinese lover. Duras’s sparse, evocative prose conveys the intensity of emotion, blending themes of love, colonialism, and class difference. McMillan appreciates Duras’s lyrical, minimalist style and how she captures the complexities of forbidden love in a short, tightly woven narrative.
7. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Published in 1899, The Awakening is the story of Edna Pontellier, a woman who struggles to reconcile her personal desires with the expectations of society and motherhood. Chopin’s novel, ahead of its time, delves into themes of female independence, sexuality, and identity. McMillan has praised Chopin for her bravery in addressing women’s issues in a time when such topics were taboo. She admires how Chopin’s compact narrative explores deep themes that resonate with modern readers.
8. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Wide Sargasso Sea is a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, telling the story of Antoinette Cosway, the woman who becomes the infamous “madwoman in the attic.” Set in Jamaica and Dominica, Rhys’s novel addresses issues of race, colonialism, and identity while giving voice to a previously silenced character. McMillan appreciates how Rhys reimagines a classic character from a marginalized perspective, adding depth and complexity to a figure previously defined by others.