The story shelf

Follow your curiosity.

A name you know. A mood you’re in. Ten minutes to yourself. Start anywhere.

29 stories · Selected from the catalog · Page 2 of 2

Realist & social

Madame Célestin’s Divorce

A lawyer urges a woman to divorce her absent husband and grows invested in her decision.

6 min · Humorous

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Themes: Marriage · Women’s independence
Settings: The home
Tone: Ironic
Style: Dialect-rich
Pace: Brisk
Written for: For adults

Realist & social

The Dream of an Hour

After hearing that her husband has died, a woman discovers an unexpected feeling while she sits alone.

5 min · Tragic

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Themes: Marriage · Women’s independence · Death
Settings: The home
Tone: Ironic
Style: Lyrical · Symbolic
Pace: Brisk
Written for: For adults

Historical & war

The Maid of Saint Phillippe

When her French village empties under British rule, a young hunter must decide where she belongs.

13 min · Reflective

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Themes: Women’s independence · Autonomy & control · Empire & colonialism
Settings: Villages & small towns
Tone: Earnest
Style: Descriptive
Pace: Measured
Written for: For adults
Motifs: Love triangle

Realist & social

An Unfinished Story

A shopgirl living on six dollars a week faces the glittering promise of dinner and the danger hidden behind it.

11 min · Bleak

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Themes: Class & poverty · Work & labor · Women’s independence
Settings: The city · Offices & workplaces
Tone: Ironic
Style: Conversational · Descriptive
Pace: Leisurely
Written for: For adults

Realist & social

The Brief Debut of Tildy

A plain waitress mistakes one impulsive kiss for her long-awaited entrance into the glamorous world of romance.

10 min · Bittersweet

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Themes: Women’s independence · Unrequited love · Friendship
Settings: Offices & workplaces · The city
Tone: Wry
Style: Conversational · Dialect-rich
Pace: Brisk
Written for: For adults