Debris: Stories

"There is a sure-handed display of craftsmanship in these eleven stories, and a panoply of human miseries for Kevin Hardcastle’s characters to contend with ... People make dire decisions; violence is commonplace but indelibly described. Hardcastle does darkness well; heartbreaking endings come naturally to him. Everyone gets hurt, but everything makes sense, and the storytelling is so goodthe language, a soothing balm for the pain."John Irving, author ofThe Cider House Rules

Reminiscent of Donald Ray Pollock’s Knockemstiff and Daniel Woodrell’s Winter’s Bone, Kevin Hardcastle’s debut Debris introduces a powerful new voice into the country-noir tradition: these are stories about rural, working-class characters at the fringes of society. Brimming with violence, this collection explores the struggle against poverty, loneliness, mental illness, and marginalization. Written in a lean, muscular style, Hardcastle’s debut collection unveils the blood and guts and beauty of life in our flyover regions.