Amputee tells the story of a young librarian who is missing a leg from an accident in her youth who finds love - but only from a man who is fascinated with her stump. Everytime she is with him she fears leaving him because she'll never find someone else to love her, but she also fears that he only loves her because of her stump.
In The Barter a young boy barters with God. His father is very sick and in the hospital and he tells God that he will go through anything if it will just mean his father will get better. One day at the hospital two boys who also have a father in the hospital take him out back for a smoke and beat him up just for the fun of it.
All of the stories in Sourland are very well written, but they are dark and humorless. I recommend the book because it is well written, but if you aren't ready to be mired in the gloominess of the stories, then you probably shouldn't read the book.
Rating: 6 / 10
ISBN: 9780061996528
Publisher: Harper Collins
Year Published: 2010