Old Babes in the Wood: Stories

Margaret Atwood has established herself as one of the most visionary and canonical authors in the world. This collection of fifteen extraordinary storiessome of which have appeared inThe New YorkerandThe New York Times Magazineexplore the full warp and weft of experience, speaking to our unique times with Atwoods characteristic insight, wit and intellect.

The two intrepid sisters of the title story grapple with loss and memory on a perfect summer evening; Impatient Griselda explores alienation and miscommunication with a fresh twist on a folkloric classic; and My Evil Mother touches on the fantastical, examining a mother-daughter relationship in which the mother purports to be a witch.At the heart of the collection are seven extraordinary stories that follow a married couple across the decades, the moments big and small that make up a long life of uncommon loveand what comes after.

Returning to short fiction for the first time since her 2014 collectionStone Mattress,Atwood showcases both her creativity and her humanity in these remarkable tales which by turns delight, illuminate, and quietly devastate.

Hardcover, March 7th 2023