Allison Whittenberg’s characters have a lot of soul. They’re riled up, outspoken, and sometimes even silent, in which case, they’re still saying a lot.They’re convincingly alive and they come at you from the page. In this brilliant mid-career collection, Whittenberg’s Carnival of Reality investigates the complexities in human relationships from a decidedly black woman’s perspective. In the first engaging story, “Ride the Peter Pan” touches on gender and elements of racial bias. You will root for main character Arna—and her journey as she comes to terms with the aftermath of date rape. In another absorbing story, “Choice” a single mother is faced with a Hobson’s choice as she is faced with the possible increase to her family. Her ultimately aching decision is a most realistic one. Whittenberg’s writing is thick with zany and fearless elements in “The Sane Asylum.” The humor is there, mingled with the desperation in Lucy, a mother trying desperately to keep her rebellious, head strong son from a conscription notice. Another highlight is “Why Didn’t You Call Me, 9/11?” the story of Jean who lives with her mother in a far from the Twin Towers small town. She is in a go nowhere interracial relationship with a commitment phobe engineer and must reckon with her loneliness and her place in the world.
