Remember How I Told You I Loved You

Linden%E2%80%99s debut story collection follows a young woman from her time as an aimless college student to her first years of marriage where her feeling of purposeless lingers. During her freshman year Karen experiences the usual roommate incompatibilities, but she finds refuge through other friends. Little mention is made of classes or other aspects of college life, Karen%E2%80%99s focus is on boyfriends despite remaining emotionally uninvolved with most of them. As her college years pass, Karen slowly notices new people and different personality types. While her friends move toward maturity, Karen continues her desultory existence. She moves in and out of friends%E2%80%99 apartments, develops crushes on men she views as romantic and holds a succession of temporary low-paying jobs during and after college. All prove unsatisfactory as Karen slowly crawls toward maturity. In the final story she is married, but much remains the same. As before, she drifts around the apartment while her husband works, still nursing vague ideas about a real role for herself. Using simple, straightforward language and dry wit humor, Linden fluidly pieces together an engaging portrait of young adulthood through characters who are smart and well-educated but questionably prepared for the road ahead. (Sept.)