Unravished

In this collection of short stories, Kaplan (The Tell) masterfully constructs eight unrelated worlds while refusing to adhere to any one thematic or stylistic consistency. She creates sympathy for characters that might otherwise be judged as gold diggers, adulterers, perverts, and Lolitas. The title story is a portrait of a dying man, his much younger (but loving) wife, and the distorted ways they behave in order to distract themselves from the inevitable. In “Companion Animal,” Kaplan explores the relationship between a lonely man and his new neighbor, a beautiful teenage girl, who is all too eager to come over to his house for a visit. “The Aerialist” concerns a man’s tender love for his girlfriend’s son and the strange competition he feels with the boy’s ever-present, sloppy father. Kaplan is capable no matter the subject, whether it’s divorce or the end of the world. Each story stands on its own and will spur the reader onto the next. (June)