American Salvage

It takes a unique talent to create a world where a bullet-riddled, half-castrated boar left for dead in the back of a pickup truck can not only revive itself but, in fact, become emblematic of a new beginning, a reversal of bad luck, and a shot at redemption for a struggling married couple all at the same time. In Bonnie Jo Campbell's hair-raising and arresting collection of short stories, American Salvage, it's just a part of the wild struggle for existence in rust-belt Middle America. Most of these characters—meth addicts, mechanics, big-box chain-store clerks—are on the verge of completely losing control, and trying desperately to cling to what remains of unraveling marriages, withering feelings of dignity, or simple hopes for the future. And though she's created circumstances that are harsh at best, Campbell is never cruel towards her characters, rendering them each with tenderness, empathy, and measured judgment. A resident of Michigan herself, Campbell speaks of what she sees and knows, and her prose, while leaning at times towards the lyrical, is palpably realistic and enriched by details that can suddenly snap her stories into bold, sculptural relief. In this bruising and occasionally hysterical collection, Campbell digs deep into the muck of existence—and comes up with a gem in her hand.