Company

August 15, 2023
In 13 stories centered on several generations of the Collinses and their friends and acquaintances, Sanders examines the complex dynamics of a large Black family. Launching the collection is "The Good, Good Men," which describes the efforts of Theo and Miles MacHale to protect their mother, Lee Collins, from what they perceive to be yet another in a series of freeloading men (a duty first imposed on them in childhood by their soon-to-be absent father). In "Rule Number One," Bellamy Lamb recounts the life lessons imparted to her over the years by her dying mother, Suzette Collins, lessons ignored or forgotten or disparaged by Bellamy's younger sister, Aubrey. Janet, a disappointed and sidelined mother-in-law (and a dean at the university where Cassandra Collins is the provost), mulls over her long-term friendship with "Stephanie fucking Simmons," a woman who, despite a history of petty differences, provides moral support and comfort in "The Gatekeepers." The Collins brood is depicted at the beginning of the book in a handwritten family tree, complete with corrections, that serves as a directory to the characters, some of whose given names mature into nicknames as they age. The stories take place over several recent generations and are, primarily, set in the Washington, D.C., region (with some of the younger set venturing to Brooklyn). The passage of time allows Sanders to show slow growth (sometimes of resentment) and the repetition of behavior across generations. Subtly crafted and sometimes ending equivocally, the stories gradually reveal motivations and perspectives that aren't obvious at first. The difficult aspects of negotiating family relationships are gently examined but, more interestingly, respected in their recounting. The complicated circuitry behind family alliances and breakdowns is artfully revealed.

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Starred review from August 28, 2023
Sanders excels in this masterly debut collection about a Black extended family and their triumphs, problems, and secrets. In “The Good, Good Men,” brothers Miles and Theo MacHale meet in Washington, D.C., on a mission to drive away their mother Lela’s latest freeloading boyfriend. Elsewhere and often, Sanders retells an event from one story in another, filling in blind spots and offering different versions. “Bird of Paradise” and “La Belle Hottentote” each delve into Lela’s oldest sister Cassandra’s complex relationships with Lela’s twin daughters, Mariolive and Caprice, each of whom she’s looked out for since they were born, Lela’s jazz-musician husband having left her when she was pregnant with them. In the first entry, Cassandra celebrates her appointment as a D.C.–area college provost at a party, where she shrugs off passive-aggressive comments from the older white men who backed her competitor. The second tells the story from the twins’ points of view along with that of two of Cassandra’s other nieces, all of whom attend the party as Cassandra’s guests. There, one of the cousins hooks up with the son of Cassandra’s boss and the others debate family lore about how their grandmother raised the money to open an Atlantic City jazz club back in the 1970s. Sanders takes pleasure in roasting her characters, such as by having finance bro Theo speak like a character on Succession: “I need to maximize face time... to kick off some new stuff I’m doing in the coding space.” She also exhibits great care and love for them, describing their slights, heartaches, and misbehavior with exquisite emotional acuity. This is a winner. (Oct.)Correction: An earlier version of this review misstated the last name of the characters Miles and Theo MacHale and misidentified the location of another character’s college.

Starred review from September 1, 2023
Sanders' remarkable, aptly titled short-story collection centers around a compelling Black family and the varied company it keeps. Each interconnected story focuses on a different family member, reaching across generations and time periods as each contends with a variety of challenges and involvements, from complicated family dynamics to loss, parenting, friendship, and racism. The characters throughout are expertly rendered and deeply relatable. In the standout story, "Bird of Paradise," as a newly promoted academic searches for her nieces at a party held in her honor, she navigates a never-ending succession of microaggressions and traps among her colleagues while contending with memories of her deceased and beloved sister. Sanders' style of storytelling is subtle yet affecting. In the excellent opening story, "The Good, Good Men," the sibling dynamic between two taciturn brothers as they travel to their mother's home in the wake of her dubious new relationship is brought into vivid focus through elegant, sparse dialogue and internal monologue. Sanders' stories are unforgettable, making this a strong and promising debut. A sure recommendation for fans of Sidik Fofana's Stories from the Tenants Downstairs (2022).

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