207 Results with the "Literary Fiction" genre


    • Stage One: Active Labor — Turk 2 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Turk standing in the nursery meant for his deceased son, consumed by rage and grief. He describes an overwhelming urge to destroy the room, symbolizing his pain. His father-in-law, Francis Mitchum, interrupts this moment, helping him dismantle the nursery by removing curtains and repainting the walls. Turk disassembles the crib he once carefully built, reflecting on how his son's death had no reason, leaving him grappling with helplessness and anger. The physical act of destruction…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Turk 1 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Turk Bauer recounting a traumatic childhood event: the death of his older brother Tanner in a car accident caused by a Black man. The courtroom scene reveals Turk's visceral racism, as he fixates on the defendant's skin color and describes his mother's outburst when the trial ends in a hung jury. This formative experience sets the stage for Turk's entrenched prejudices, which are further shaped by his family's disintegration after the tragedy—his father leaves, his mother turns to…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Ruth 3 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Ruth, a nurse, reflecting on the cyclical nature of her work, where each day brings new births and new stories. However, her routine is disrupted when she receives a call from Carla Luongo, the hospital’s risk management liaison, requesting a meeting. Ruth’s internal tension is palpable as she agrees, masking her anxiety with professionalism. The narrative shifts to her home, where her son Edison observes how her tone changes when speaking to white people, hinting at the…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Ruth 2 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Ruth, an experienced labor and delivery nurse, reflecting on her career and recalling only one instance where a patient temporarily dismissed her—a situation resolved when Ruth brought pain medication. The narrative shifts to a current conflict involving Turk Bauer, a racist patient who displays a Confederate flag tattoo and objects to Ruth, an African American woman, caring for his newborn. Ruth’s colleague, Corinne, tries to lighten the mood with humor, but Ruth is unsettled by…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Ruth 1 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a poignant account of a baby born with severe facial deformities, described as "the most beautiful baby" despite his condition. The mother, unaware of the deformity due to inconclusive prenatal ultrasounds, delivers at a smaller hospital. The delivery room falls into stunned silence when the baby is born, and a student nurse's horrified reaction highlights society's discomfort with physical differences. The obstetrician delivers the devastating news that the baby's condition is…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Ruth 1 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with Ruth, a nurse, recounting the birth of a severely deformed baby boy whose facial abnormalities were undetected during prenatal care. Despite his shocking appearance, the newborn was otherwise healthy, leaving the medical team and parents unprepared. The mother, though devastated, immediately bonded with her son, naming him Ian Michael Barnes, while the father initially recoiled in horror and denial. Ruth emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the child's humanity, even in his…
    • Stage One: Active Labor — Kennedy 1 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a chaotic morning in Kennedy McQuarrie’s household, where miscommunication between her and her husband, Micah, leads to oversleeping. Their four-year-old daughter, Violet, throws a tantrum over breakfast, culminating in a humorous misunderstanding when she demands a "fuckin’ knife" instead of a fork and knife. The incident sparks a brief argument between Kennedy and Micah about her swearing habits, highlighting the challenges of balancing parenthood and demanding careers. The…
    • Small Great Things Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Small Great Things by ​Jodi Picoult​ (2016) is a grip­ping nov­el that explores ​racism, priv­i­lege, and jus­tice​ in mod­ern Amer­i­ca. The sto­ry fol­lows ​Ruth Jef­fer­son, an expe­ri­enced Black labor and deliv­ery nurse, who is for­bid­den from car­ing for a new­born after the white suprema­cist par­ents request “no African Amer­i­can staff.” When the baby goes into car­diac arrest and Ruth hes­i­tates to inter­vene, she is charged…
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      Retribution

      Retribution Cover
      by LovelyMay Retribution begins with Mr. Carter firmly deciding to adopt a more prudent approach, particularly regarding Dolly Foster, whose flair for mischief often drags him into public spectacle. His resolve is tested almost immediately when he's summoned to meet Lady Mickleham, the formidable mother of Dolly’s fiancé. Their meeting unfolds with a cold politeness, heavy with scrutiny as Lady Mickleham methodically examines him through her pince-nez, a symbolic gesture of judgment as much as a practical accessory.…
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      One Way In

      One Way In Cover
      by LovelyMay One Way In opens with a surreal drift into the afterlife, not with fire or golden gates, but with Samuel Carter stepping through a green baize door into what resembles an upscale government office. The space is orderly and slightly dull, lacking the grandeur or terror one might expect. Carter, neither startled nor overly curious, treats the scene with polite detachment, as if checking into a club. The room’s only real feature is a large table where Rhadamanthus—the mythic judge of the dead—sits with…
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