Where the Light Falls

Why people recommend it

Where the Light Falls by Nancy Hale, edited by Lauren Groff, is a thoughtful collection of selected short fiction highlighting the remarkable observational range and stylistic brilliance of an underappreciated American writer. On The Book Review episode titled The Authorized Life of the Iron Lady, broadcast on July 18, 2024, Susan Dominus discussed reading this collection. Dominus brought the book into the conversation to share her literary experiences, stating that the collection is called Where the Light Falls: Selected Stories of Nancy Hale. Through her remarks on the podcast, Dominus drew attention to the enduring power of Hale's short stories and praised the editorial effort by Groff that brought these compelling narratives back into the contemporary literary conversation. The mention served to celebrate the art of the short story, emphasizing how anthologies curated by respected contemporary authors can successfully rescue brilliant mid-century voices from relative obscurity and introduce their sharp psychological insights, rich character studies, and evocative prose styles to a whole new generation of appreciative readers.