A Catalogue of Everything in the World

Yelizaveta P. Renfro

Release Date: May 17, 2011
ISBN: 978-­0982622889

Price: $16.00

eBook Price: $7.99

DESCRIPTION

A Catalogue of Everything in the World, winner of the 2008 St. Lawrence Book Award, is an allegory of identity: characters’ entwined experiences share an undercurrent of uncertainty, of self-exploration; a sentiment that Renfro adeptly mirrors with the geographical particularities of Nebraska, a place at once undefined and yet subtly representative of the world’s infinite catalogued people and circumstances. It’s this dichotomy of life and understanding—an elderly widow grappling with time; a young woman trying to tame a confusing, inchoate love; a displaced Californian searching for belonging—that Renfro weaves so beautifully throughout these stories, each more incisive and imaginative than the last.

ADVANCE PRAISE

"A Catalogue of Everything in the World is truly that—a vividly illustrating, achingly honest, and stunningly lyrical examination of everything in these characters’ hearts, wherever they may have landed. Renfro’s people are hurt, and tenderhearted, and still they try to figure out their worlds. I couldn’t look away, and I carried them with me for some time." —Susan Straight, author of Highwire Moon

"These lovely, evocative Nebraska Stories in A Catalogue of Everything in the World by Yelizaveta P. Renfro are not only authentic to the lyricism and vastness of the region but so true and dignifying of human relationships and struggles in this very fine and wise collection." —Susan Richards Shreve, author of A Student of Living Things 

"Renfro’s firm grasp of language and inventive use of space contributes enormously to the success of the fiction." —Alan Cheuse, author of To Catch the Lightning



REVIEWS

"She has a gift of restrained suspense, using details that could suggest an obvious plot, but spinning them into a far more compelling, sometimes horrific ending. A Catalogue of Everything in the World is a quick, insightful read." —Fringe

"Reading A Catalogue of Everything in the World is like taking a walk on a summer evening, in what appears to be familiar territory, and hearing secrets from people sitting on their porch swings behind fluttering fans or in their parlors with the windows open - little bits of everyday chatter that belies the truths covered by words - for a while. We grow to love these folks: we also become a bit more guarded about how we chat with neighbors in those innocent evenings of summer greetings. This is a little book of miracles, and like pickup sticks we must be very careful how we handle them." —Grady Harp

"The characters in the book, whether man, woman, teen, child or cat are an obdurate sort, not easy to fit together, to figure out, to hope for. But we do. Nebraska carries the flag, but we are all in the game. They are ‘Everyman’. Wherever they go, there we are." —Bonzer