The Office of Historical Corrections

One of my favourite reads of 2020 and also one of my favourite short story collections ever!

Everything about this book impressed me - the themes, the writing, the characterisation, the pacing. The women in these stories are all trying to correct something that has gone wrong, either in their lives or in the world around them, but this loose thematic connection between the stories never felt forced or obvious; it just allowed Evans to create a handful of perfect tales which will stay with me for a long time.

In just seven stories Evans shows how much of a master she is at creating a character you can root for or a world you can believe in.

This story collection is just dynamite. From a young woman who works in a Titanic attraction gift shop figuring out her worth in life to a misogynist artist apologising to all the women he’s wronged in life in increasingly bizarre public ways, this is a searing look at race, gender and class.

Of the seven tales, six were amazing and one, while beautifully written, didn’t grab me so much. That’s a pretty amazing hit rate. Which is my favourite? It keeps changing. There’s the girl who accidentally starts a rapidly escalating campus furore over a wearing a confederate flag bikini on break. The woman who is at her platonic male friends wedding and there is an unhinged bride and her rainbow bridesmaids (All assigned a colour to wear over the whole weekend). Perhaps it’s the story of the woman who finds herself with an abandoned baby while on a coach - which would be okay if she wasn’t also carrying $20k of drugs in her bag.

Actually, now I think about it, best of all is the titular novella. A story of two black women - almost friends who work in a government department responsible for correcting historical mistakes in signs, textbooks, plaques and conversations they overhear. Their work leads them to uncover secrets and racism bubbling under a very white midwestern town - and neither of their lives will never be the same again.

Evans’ language is almost surgically effective, her characters rip themselves off the page, full of vitality and agency and life. Any one of the pieces, especially Historical Corrections, could have easily been a novel in its own right, but the short sharp shock of them makes them all the more special.

Releasing in March, this was a collection that will stay with me.

When I was reading reviews of this book a few said that there is no single not amazing story in this collection.

I’ve read quite a lot of short story collections this year and it’s true that pretty much every short story collection has a few stories that just aren’t quite as good as some of the others. And this collection is the exception to the rule.

Every single story is original and interesting and engaging. I love the amount of character building and world building Danielle Evans is able to make in 30 pages. Every story feels completely realised and convincing and the stories are all surprising.

They all tie together so perfectly but all feel completely unique.

I think my favourite is Boys go to Jupiter and Anything Could Disappear but any of these stories would be stand out in another collection.

5 stars for my final read of 2020!

This is a stunning book, a series of short stories and a novella, mostly concerned with what it means to be Black in America, although the settings covered and the stories told here are broad in their subject matter and perspective. The characters are vividly drawn and the writing is crisp and compelling, with a couple of plot turns I didn’t see coming. I was excited to read this collection because I’m really enjoying short stories as a form at the moment and US bookstagram has been raving about it for months but it surpassed my expectations. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy - an early contender for one of my favourite books of the year and highly recommended.

4 ½ stars

The Office of Historical Corrections is a striking collection of short stories, easily the best one to be published this year. Unlike many other collections—which tend to have a few forgettable or ‘weaker’ stories—The Office of Historical Corrections has only hits. There isn’t one story that bored me or wasn’t as good as the rest. This is truly a standout collection. If you happen to be a fan of authors such as Curtis Sittenfeld, Edwidge Danticat, and Brit Bennett you should definitely give The Office of Historical Corrections a shot.

This collection contains 6 short stories and 1 novella. Although each one of these has its own distinctive narrative, they do examine similar themes but they do so through different, and at times opposing, perspectives. With nuance and precision Evans navigates the realities of contemporary America, focusing in particular on the experiences of black people in a country that considers white to be the 'norm'.
There are so many things to love about this collection. Evans’ prose is superb. Her writing is incisive, evocative, and perfectly renders her characters and the diverse situations they are in without ever being overly descriptive or purply. While short stories and novellas are usually plot-driven, Evans’ narratives spouse a razor-sharp commentary—on race, modern culture, class—with compelling character-studies.

The scenarios and issues Evans explores are certainly topical. In ‘Boys Go to Jupiter’ a white college student, Claire, is labelled racist after her sort-of-boyfriend posts a photo of her wearing a Confederate bikini. Rather than apologising or even acknowledging what this flag truly symbolises Claire decides to make matters worse for herself by ridiculing a black student’s outrage at her bikini and by claiming that the flag is part of her heritage. As this controversy unfolds we learn of her childhood, of how she became close with two siblings who were for a time neighbours of hers, of her mother’s illness and eventual death, and of the part she played in her friend’s death. This story is very much about denial, culpability, and grief. It also brought to mind ‘White Women LOL’ by Sittenfeld and Rebecca Makkai's ‘Painted Ocean, Painted Ship’.
The titular novella instead follows two black women who have never been on easy terms. This is partly due to their different economic backgrounds and partly due to their different temperaments. Having lost touch after college they both end up working at the Institute for Public History where they are tasked with correcting historical inaccuracies/mistakes. Often their corrections raise awareness about America’s colonial and racist past in order to challenge white historical narratives. Given all discussions about decolonising the curriculum and about historical statues and monuments this novella definitely touches on some relevant topics. The revisions made by the Institute for Public History are often not well met and they are targeted by white ‘preservationists’. As our narrator unearths the true story behind a black shopkeeper’s death back in 1937 she unwillingly joins ‘forces’ with Genevieve, her longtime not-quite-friend. The two women have very different approaches and their search for the truth behind this man’s death soon sparks the anger of the white ‘preservationists’.
All of these stories are worth a read. My personal favourites where ‘Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain’, ‘Alcatraz’, ‘Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want’ (which had some serious Kevin Wilson vibes), and ‘Anything Could Disappear’ (this almost had me in tears).

There are so many things to love about this collection: Evans’ focus on women and the thorny relationships they can have with one another, the wry humour that underlines these stories, Evans’ ability to capture diverse and nuanced emotions. The list goes on.

Evans’ stories are thought-provoking and populated by memorable and fully fleshed out characters. Although she exerts an admirable control over her language, her writing is arresting. Evans does not waste words and she truly packs a punch in this ‘infamous’ medium (short stories are often seen in terms of their limitations) .
Throughout this collection Evans’ touches themes of injustice, forgiveness, history (a character’s personal history as well as a nation’s history), freedom and identity, grief, loss, fear, failed relationships and human connection.
This is a fantastic collection and you should definitely give it a try.

Beautiful and powerful collection of stories. This collection proves again why the short story form is excellent - so much can be packed into so few pages. Open endings and unfinished stories can be difficult for some, but I really appreciate this about short stories. As so often, we do not actually know what happens.

There wasn't one story that I didn't enjoy or wouldn't recommend. Evans creates memorable characters that are also authentic. Besides this, the storylines are engaging and beautifully crafted. The collection ends with a dystopian novella: The Office of Historical Collection and as someone mentioned before, I recommend to read this one first. Ultimately a collection about putting things right, but also about grief, love, culture and life. Highly recommend!

Each of the stories make commentaries on a variety of topics, generally centering around racial discourse and the modern world. I was pleasantly surprised by these stories and the complexities and depth they went into in such few pages (compared to a full length novel). They cover some heavy topics but do so in such a profound way, leaving you thinking about the stories long after reading them.

After each short story I kept telling myself “this one is my favorite” and then I’d read the next one and say the same thing. Each of the stories have their own unique aspects and commentaries on society - I honestly couldn’t decide on just one that I liked the best.

I think these stories are great discussion starters and would be great for a book club! I personally will be joining in with @literaryleague for the first time who have chosen it for their read of the month! I highly recommend this one, and would love to discuss it with people who have read some of the stories.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Picador, and Pan Macmillan for the gifted e-ARC.

Probably the best short story collection I have read! I could have read full length books about any of these characters, and was in turn engrossed, sad, shocked, amused... brilliant writing.

This is an outstanding multilayered short story collection from the award winning Danielle Evans, consisting of 6 short stories and one novella, beautifully written, often revisiting common themes and issues, but approached through a different lens. The fine tuned, astute, and diverse storytelling are reflective of contemporary American realities and national challenges, providing insights on issues such as race, injustice, violence, culture, history and who gets to tell it, grief, loss, identity, resilience, survival, gender roles, and what it is to be a woman, particularly a black woman. The characterisations are wonderfully riveting with narratives that so often move in surprisingly unexpected directions, giving us glimpses of lives, depicting the frailties and flaws of humanity, and specific circumstances and decisions which have the author providing a perceptive social commentary. My particular favourites were 'Anything Could Disappear', 'Boys Go to Jupiter, and the title story, 'The Office of Historical Corrections'. Wonderfully entertaining and engaging fiction, where every story is a gem, from a remarkably gifted author. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

This is a short story collection with a novella included as well. I really enjoyed this collection.

It feels fresh and vibrant but it deals with big issues and themes around race and identity and loss. I found the writing style really snappy and clean and found myself instantly immersed within the stories. I highly recommend picking this collection up if you are looking to try more short story collections. I definitely will be checking out other work from this author.

Thanks to the author Danielle Evans, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Seven stories, six shorts and one novella. They are all different but have the same themes running though and are all incredibly poignant and well written. Danielle Evans explores gender, race and loss through a nuanced look at American history and society.

Characterisation is everything for me and I’m so impressed at the level of character development that Evans can achieve in a short story.

I enjoyed all of the stories, but Boys Go to Jupiter was a particular standout for me. The story follows the aftermath of a Facebook photo of a white college girl wearing a confederate flag bikini going viral after her Black hallmate tweets it with anger and disgust. It’s interesting and explores free speech and racism in an ingenious way.

I wouldn’t ordinarily read a short story collection but this has really inspired me to read more of them!