If I had to pick one novella on the spot it would be Claire Messud’s A Simple Tale, a portrait of Maria Poniatowski, her life before, during, (she is in a concentration camp for some of the text) and after, when she moves to the USA with her husband. Quite a complete portrait, I should say. The size of the text fits Maria.
Christine Schutt is the author of Nightwork, A Night, A Day, Another Night, Summer, and Florida, and has been awarded many honors. Her new novel, All Souls, is out now from Harcourt. Visit her HERE.
JOHN MADERA—Writer, Editor, Publisher 