Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It by Maile Meloy

 

Never mind that Maile Meloy's last novel was on the Orange shortlist, or that Richard and Judy liked it, whichever way that nugget of information might bias you. Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It is a collection of eleven short stories that is told with detachment and compassion enough to only make their observations sharper. Each story is brilliantly self-contained, never leaving the reader unsatisfied, and the collection as a whole feels like the very best kind of mixtape. It will be interesting to see what a UK audience makes of this collection; its authentic slices of everyday life are not quite as accessible on this side of the pond, seeming particularly disjointed in the first story of a ranch hand in Montana and a nine hour drive across the state. However, Meloy's main theme of why human beings might knowingly act against their own interests should be familiar to all. What stands out on each page is the tension of two opposing forces held in the same place at the same time; and the unmistakable presence of an author with the skill, wisdom and good sense to stand out of the way of her own stories. [Kayleigh Bohan]