The Husband's Dilemma: Stories

By Nicole Stansbury

With the publication of her wonderful first novel, Places to Look for A Mother, Nicole Stansbury was hailed as "a terrific writer" (The Washington Post) and "a thoroughly American original" (Jayne Anne Phillips). Now, she delivers on the promise of her auspicious debut with The Husband's Dilemma, a riveting story collection that reads like a fictional counterpart to Cathi Hanauer's best-selling essay collection, The Bitch in the House. In the title story, a sex-starved husband takes desperate and dangerous measures in order to revive his wife's dormant libido and gratify his own. In "A Woman Sweeping," an affluent housewife lets loose her repressed lust for a repulsive repairman. In "The Activist," a mother obsessed with child safety protests potentially harmful products by ceaselessly badgering corporations with letters of complaint. An ugly custody battle takes a loving father by surprise in "Hannah's Announcement." In these and other stories, Stansbury portrays the feverish underside of domesticity with mordant humor and searing insight. A resounding confirmation of her exceptional literary talent, The Husband's Dilemma is sure to delight Stansbury's existing fans and earn her many new ones.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786713003
• ISBN13: 9780786713004
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

husbands, lovers and other interesting stories

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a book containing short stories dealing with husbands and wives or girlfriends and their lovers. Be warned some of the stories are very sexual. Some of the stories are humorous others are sad. The story titled, The Broken Children reminded me of a true story that happened in Yellowstone National Park after we came back in the year 2000. The story was so moving to me that I cut out the article and saved it. It is regarding three kids that get burned at the park by jumping into a steaming pool. The story made me wonder how the two surviving boys are doing, since the girl died from the accident. I remember the 2 boys were from Utah where the author is from. The author's stories really moved me. I thought the author wrote very well, and look forward to reading other short stories or maybe a novel by her in the future.