FICTION

Damage Control

by Amber Dermont
St. Martin's. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780312642815. $23.99; ebk. ISBN 9781429985246. F
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Following Dermont's full-length debut, The Starboard Sea, this first collection is a mixed bag of pleasures. The delights include "Lyndon," which features a girl carrying on a tradition she had with her recently deceased father of visiting the homes of all the presidents; now she does it with her mother, so that the Johnson home in Texas becomes the locus for her grief. Similarly, the penultimate story, "The Master of Novices," captures in first person a girl's grief for her deceased sister, with a structure that stunningly follows the Stations of the Cross through a family's history of faith and apostasy. Unfortunately, some of the other selections are centered on weaker "what if?" premises and seem slight in comparison.
VERDICT Though the results are uneven, the hits make up for a few minor misses, and readers who thrilled to Dermont's acclaimed first novel will be pleased to encounter her work in short form in this generous collection.
Reviewed by Sue Russell, Bryn Mawr, PA , May 15, 2013
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