Burning Bright by Ron Rash

Burning Bright

Ron Rash

Full of shocking surprises, this hard-hitting collection of short stories gives a candid portrayal of the hardships experienced by its cast of characters. The limits of human endurance are tested, with the characters acting oftentimes irrationally and immorally in moments of extreme provocation. Indeed, when I began to feel sympathy for their iniquitous behaviour, it left me questioning the accuracy of my own moral judgement.

Extract
Jesse bent down and reached not for the younger man's hand but his shoulder. He pushed hard, the ranger's hands clutching only air as he fell through the rotten metal, a thump and simultaneous snap of bone as he hit the well's dry floor.
Parallels
  • The Angle Esmeralde: Nine Stories by Don DeLillo
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker