Treats — Lara Williams

"It was the curse of the modern age, options; who needed options, when everything was essentially meaningless?" So says one of the characters in this extraordinary debut collection. This fresh, beguiling new voice paints a portrait of contemporary womanhood, balancing wry humor with a pervading sense of alienation. These characters struggle with how to negotiate intimacy within relationships and isolation when single. Meanwhile the dilemmas of contemporary adulthood play out, including abortion, depression, extra-marital affairs, infatuation, new baby anxiety, bereavement, hair loss, sexual ethics, cats and taxidermy.