853 Results with the "Fiction" genre


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      Chapter 26

      Chapter 26 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a breakfast conversation where Sam mentions a gymnastics classmate sharing the name of Papa’s best friend, prompting the narrator to realize it’s time to explain their unconventional family structure to their child. The couple meticulously prepares a script to navigate this delicate conversation, aiming to balance honesty with reassurance. Their dialogue reveals underlying anxieties about phrasing and the potential long-term implications of their words, reflecting both their care…
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      Chapter 27

      Chapter 27 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with the narrator flying to Oakland to visit Kris, reminiscing about a playful game they used to play with their toddler, Sam. This memory sparks an idea: could they recreate a similar dynamic with Kris, using role-play to explore emotional vulnerability? The narrator imagines a scenario where Kris confesses to a fictional affair, allowing them to enact a dramatic reconciliation. This fantasy highlights the narrator's desire for intense emotional connection and their confidence in Kris's…
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      Chapter 28

      Chapter 28 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The narrator attends a potluck with Jordi, feeling emotionally fragile and socially adrift. After Jordi leaves to move her car, the narrator is approached by Tara, a former assistant to the elusive Arkanda, who reveals a surprising connection: Arkanda had reached out due to their shared experience with Fetal-maternal Hemorrhage (FMH). Tara explains that Arkanda’s nanny, Jess, facilitated this connection, leaving the narrator stunned by the revelation and the unexpected personal link to the celebrity.…
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      Chapter 29

      Chapter 29 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with the narrator reflecting on her delayed journey to New York, which took four years instead of the anticipated six days. Now 49, she questions whether her odyssey—marked by symbolic elements like cliffs, caves, and a golden ring—has truly transformed her. She longs for a test to prove her growth, contrasting her current self with who she was four years ago. As she flies to Brooklyn for her book tour, she grapples with unresolved feelings, scrolling through old photos and hesitantly…
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      Chapter 30

      Chapter 30 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with the narrator arriving at a crowded venue for Davey and Dev's performance, feeling physically recovered from prior vertigo but emotionally exposed. Dressed inappropriately for the event, they encounter acquaintances while navigating the ticket line, revealing their privileged access to the show. The narrator reflects on Davey's rise to fame after years of obscurity, noting how his past at Hertz contrasts with his current success. There's an underlying tension as the narrator suspects…
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      Things Boys Do

      Things Boys Do Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter "Things Boys Do" explores the unsettling dynamics between fathers and their newborn sons through three distinct narratives. The first man witnesses his wife's traumatic childbirth, where the baby's arrival is marked by eerie silence and a doctor's evasive reassurance. The father is haunted by the infant's unnerving white eyeballs and his wife's subsequent health decline, leaving him fearful of his own child. This segment sets a tone of dread, questioning the natural bond between parent and…
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      Birdwoman

      Birdwoman Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Felicity, the protagonist of *Birdwoman*, is introduced as a woman whose life has been marked by unhappiness from birth. Conceived out of wedlock, she grew up in a religious household where her parents’ guilt manifested in strict piety and financial deprivation. Her childhood was further marred by abuse from an older cousin, and even after escaping her family at nineteen by stealing money, her discontent persisted. Despite building a successful tailoring business through shrewdness—poaching skilled…
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      Girlie

      Girlie Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter follows Girlie, a young domestic worker, as she navigates her daily responsibilities for her employers, Madam and Oga. Sent to the market three times a week, she purchases household items, groceries, and baby supplies, adapting to their preferences while masking her exhaustion. Girlie reflects on the disparities between her employers' affluent lifestyle and her own humble background in Akko, a village far removed from their polished neighborhood. Her observations highlight the invisible labor…
    • The Wonders of the World Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Abisola, a student who joins a school geography trip at the last minute after her mother unexpectedly earns enough money from a sale. Feeling self-conscious about her borrowed sneakers and the pitying looks from the trip coordinator, Mr. Baju, Abisola boards the bus and finds herself seated next to Zeme, a peculiar new boy whose erratic movements and unsettling aura make others uncomfortable. Zeme’s unusual behavior, including his whispered prayers and intuitive understanding of…
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      The Dusk Market

      The Dusk Market Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter introduces the enigmatic Dusk Market, a hidden marketplace that emerges at twilight, filled with sensory richness—smoky stockfish, buzzing flies, sizzling agbara pans, and the cacophony of bartering voices. The market is preceded by flickering kerosene lanterns, guiding the way for those who belong. Ordinary pedestrians and drivers avoid the intersection instinctively, though children occasionally glimpse surreal sights like head-hopping men or winking birds, which adults dismiss or ignore.…
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