Do you like to read short stories? Do you like to read stories about morally grey and semi-unsavory women? Do you like to read stories about feminism? Or perhaps read stories in support of anti-racist and anti-queerphobic views? If so, then Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women, beautifully edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley, is just the ticket for you.
I originally gravitated towards Peach Pit first because of its premise – the broad range of story-telling by an all-female ensemble and the nasty women they concocted – and then, because I saw the name Lauren Groff attached. “Amaranth,” by Groff, the final story in the collection, stays true to Groff-esque prose. The precise and concise attention to detail, the engaging and alluring anecdotes featuring gritty protagonists, the ability to capture so much of what is wrong with the world within twenty-some pages – Groff is a modern classicist in the making. Alongside Groff are fifteen other writers – most of whom I was regretfully unaware of up until reading this collection. Deesha Phillyaw, Vanessa Chan, Chantal V Johnson, Sarah Rose Etter, Aliya Whiteley, and Amanda Leduc (to name just a few) are all beneficial collaborators on this unique anthology.
Phillyaw’s story, “Fuckboy Museum,” is the perfect opener to this collection, setting the tone for what is to come. In it, the protagonist shares snippets of chats with men over instant messenger or dating apps. Some blow her off. Some share their misplaced views of a “woman’s place” in the home. And some are just unfortunate to cross paths with this woman who is tired of the nonsense men have put her and so many other women through. This is a story of solidarity and strength. Perhaps, to an extent, it’s a bit satirical… or possibly, it’s a warning!
Perhaps one of my favorite stories in this collection was “A Scholarship Opportunity” by Megan Giddings. In this story, Tiffani, the protagonist, is applying for a scholarship for The Worst Teen Girl in America. In it, Giddings addresses what is expected of girls; do they conform, and act as expected, or be who they are, flaws and all? In the end, the narrator says, “She doesn’t think it matters now who wins. The plate shatters into six distinct pieces, each with its own rose. More beautiful in the break than when it was whole.” This is such a relevant quote for this story, but also for the anthology as a whole. Though all of these characters are deeply flawed in their own ways, they are also beautiful in spite of and because of those flaws.
Other stories like “All You Have Is Your Fire” by Yah Yah Schofield or “Sick” by Alicia Elliott deal with young women and their families and how far one can push you before you ultimately take matters into your own hands. “Aquafina” by Chan Porter was one of the most unique and skillfully written stories – almost reading more like a poem. In the story the narrator says, “I loved you then/more than I loved my own name/Aquafina/I didn’t ask anymore questions/or try to share a story from my childhood/about an uncle who or/or a trusted neighbor that or/the boyfriend who cut me and ran.” Other stories like “Maps” or “Manifestation” didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally, for one reason or another, yet there are other reviews out there that listed those stories among their favorites.
The point is this compilation has a little of something for everyone. Stories vary from literary to magical realism to horror-esque, and some are peppered with levity. Common themes throughout include sexual abuse, physical abuse, disordered eating, suicidal ideation, mental/emotional abuse, cancer, murder, and other sensitive topics. In short, these are not necessarily light-hearted stories. But they are stories that speak truth to what is going on in our society today and the relevance of calling attention to the masses. This is an anthology of stories of women who’ve been pushed to the brink and have had enough, and it’s important to shed light on their lives (real or not) and incite empathy in all who read, and then beyond.
Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women
Edited by Molly Llewellynn and Kristel Buckley
Dzanc Books
September 2023
Southern Review of Books 