Old Crimes

And Other Stories

By: Jill McCorkle

Narrated by: Jill McCorkle, Hayden Bishop, Teralyn Davis, Marcella Cox, Kathy Bell Denton, Cary Hite

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Beloved author Jill McCorkle delivers a collection of masterful stories that are as complex as novels—deeply perceptive, funny, and tragic in equal measure—about crimes large and small.

McCorkle, author of the New York Times bestselling Life After Life and the widely acclaimed Hieroglyphics (“One of our wryest, warmest, wisest storytellers” —Rebecca Makkai), brings us a breathtaking collection of stories that offers an intimate look at the moments when a person’s life changes forever.

Old Crimes delves into the lives of characters who hold their secrets and misdeeds close, even as the past continues to reverberate over time and across generations. And despite the characters’ yearnings for connection, they can’t seem to tell the whole truth. In “Low Tones,” a woman uses her hearing impairment as a way to guard herself from her husband’s commentary. In “Lineman,” a telephone lineman strains to connect to his family even as he feels pushed aside in a digital world. In “Confessional,” a young couple buys a confessional booth for fun, only to discover the cost of honesty.

Profoundly moving and unforgettable, for fans of Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and Lily King, the stories in Old Crimes reveal why McCorkle has long been considered a master of the form, probing lives full of great intensity, longing and affection, and deep regret.

“Jill McCorkle has had an extraordinary ear for the music of ordinary life since the beginning of her career, able to work with the voices we know so well to write these stories about what they will not tell us, what they would rather not tell us, what they hope to tell us, what too often goes unsaid. And this collection is a new wonder.” —Alexander Chee, author of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel

©2024 Jill McCorkle (P)2024 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

"A splendid, wide-ranging collection that once again proves McCorkle is a master of the form."—Jenny Offill, author of Weather

“Jill McCorkle has had an extraordinary ear for the music of ordinary life since the beginning of her career, able to work with the voices we know so well to write these stories about they will not tell us, what they would rather not tell us, what they hope to tell us, what too often goes unsaid. And this collection is a new wonder.”—Alexander Chee, author of How to Write An Autobiographical Novel

“Each story here is so carefully wrought yet wildly original at the same time, deeply wedded to the real world in all its complexity and detail. It seems to me that each one contains an entire life—and often, a whole novel. What a beautiful book.”—Lee Smith, author of Silver Alert

Compelling.

Great sense of place and character. Rich dialogue. Very much enjoyed the variety of stories and narrators, too.

Beautiful writing, as usual.

I love Jill McCorkle’s writing, and this collection only reinforces that fact. I will probably buy the book, but it was difficult, at times to listen to this audio book.

Brilliant storytelling!

Jill McCorkle weaves every detail into her story. didn't miss a second, everything matters in the end!