Ethel Rohan

One of my favourite stories of Ethel Rohan's is Shatter at FRiGG. Maybe it's because the main character feels so real. I recognise her and am touched.

"She chewed harder on the side of her thumb. Maybe she should call her husband back and tell him to forget the chips. Hardly any of her clothes fit anymore. Her mouth watered. What was living if she couldn’t have her few treats every evening, some chips with wine before dinner after a hard day’s work. She thought to phone her mother, but felt too tired. She really should call her sister, too, one of these days. They hadn’t spoken in months."


I appreciate Rohan's skill at conjuring with reality and the ache of life, saying so much in a clean, crisp, concise way. That the title of her collection of short stories is Cut Through the Bone seems incredibly fitting as that is exactly how she works her words. It's a must read book as far as I'm concerned. Congratulations too, Ethel, for being one of The Story Prize's "Notable 2010 Short Story Collections"