cover image If the Heart Is Lean: Stories

If the Heart Is Lean: Stories

Margaret Luongo. Louisiana State University Press, $14.95 (156pp) ISBN 978-0-8071-3376-7

Luongo's excellent first collection showcases the author's mastery of the fundamentals of storytelling. The stories range from the chilling-""Embankment"" is as terrifying as a classic horror flick-to the surreal, as in ""Pedagogy,"" in which a professor boils his head to make a point. There's humor in ""Boyfriends,"" as a dead woman listens in on the eulogies of her ex-husbands and boyfriends. Luongo shifts her tone from tenderly disaffected to sweetly hopeful in ""Cake,"" the tale of a shy friendless woman who, recently out of an unhealthy relationship, begins to connect with her coworkers. In every story, Luongo's expressive imagination reveals layers of emotion and intentions; even her most frustrating characters draw the reader's empathy. Luongo is a fascinating storyteller; each piece has a gravity and life of its own.