Author(s): Rachel Kushner

Short Stories | Caribbean | Fiction Reductions | New Directions

The three pieces gathered in The Strange Case of Rachel K roughly map the genesis of Rachel Kushner's fiction. From the fate of a conquistador in "The Great Exception," to the illegal radio broadcasts and then bombs in "Debouchment," to a Havana courtesan's "strange" case, these stories build into a vision of Cuba that is black-humored, brutal, and beautiful. In this collection, which "overflows in atmosphere as it shows off the burgeoning talent of one of our best writers" (NPR), Rachel Kushner is forging her own original path into the wilds of contemporary fiction.

Review: "Kushner's writing is fluid and clear and possesses a rhythm as determined as an ocean current. Readers will encounter three stories of terrific depth." -- Publishers Weekly "Her prose has a poise and wariness and moral graininess that puts you in the mind of weary-souled visionaries like Robert Stone and Joan Didion." -- Dwight Garner - The New York Times Book Review "Full of vibrantly different stories and histories, all of them particular, all of them brilliantly alive." -- James Wood - The New Yorker "Kushner is the champion of something strange, wonderful and real." " -- Rivka Galchen