Grand Union by Zadie Smith

 

This anthology, published in 2019, contains nineteen stories by Zadie Smith.  My favorite was For The King, in which Smith meets an old friend in Paris and they walk and eat and stop for drinks for hours.  They discuss the state of the world, the young, sex and other topics as they catch up with each other.  Escape from New York tells the story of three friends as they rush to escape some untold disaster that has befallen the city.  The Lazy River tells the story of two families on vacation and how the lazy river feature typifies their approach to life that week.

This is Smith's first anthology.  Her novels have won numerous awards, being nominated for the Booker several times and the Women's Prize for Fiction.  The stories are short but her personality is revealed.  This is a women who is independent and tired of living to the world's expectations.  If one is judging her, be aware that the favor is returned.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.