The Problem You Have: Stories

The Sisyphean characters in The Problem You Have may not be pushing a giant rock up a hill, but they are unlikely to ever get where they are going. Yet despite knowing that, they push on and work with graceful resignation. In McBrearty's newest collection, a diverse group of characters encounter turning points. A minor criminal seeking warmth on a frigid night climbs through a farmhouse window to discover more than he ever expected. A dying soldier recalls the man he left behind. In one horrible afternoon, a college professor realizes the only sanctuary is love. An over-the-hill pitcher refuses to get off the mound. A young couple meets the couple they never want to become. While some stories hold dark themes, McBrearty masterfully infuses the work with humor and compassion, rendering the characters within them relatable. Even with themes of loss or what might have been, the collection sings notes of what might yet be, for both the characters and the reader.