These eleven short fictions evoke the microcosmic worlds every human relationship contains. A woman is captivated by the stories her boyfriend tells about his exes. A faltering artist goes on a date with a married couple. Twin brothers work out their rivalry via the girl next door. In every one of these tales, we meet indelibly real and unforgettable people, a cast of rebels and dreamers trying to transform themselves, forge new destinies, or simply make the moment last.
A visceral collection ... There's an irresistible tautness to Tan's writing style, and she looks at her characters with such clear-eyed sensitivity that, as a reader, you can barely tear your eyes away. - AnOther magazine
Author
About May-Lan Tan
May-Lan Tan was born in Hong Kong, where her family had migrated from Indonesia. She lived in California before moving to London and now lives in Berlin. She studied fine art at Goldsmiths and has worked professionally as a children's party entertainer, commercial illustrator, personal chef, artist's model, and medical secretary. Her fiction has been published in Zoetrope: All-Story, The Atlas Review, Arete, and The Reader. Things to Make and Break was first published by CB Editions in 2014 when it was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.
