The Office of Historical Corrections

A Novella and Stories

By: Danielle Evans

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Nicole Lewis, Brittany Pressley, Shayna Small, January LaVoy, Adenrele Ojo, Janina Edwards

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2021 Joyce Carol Oates Prize

Named a Best Book of 2020 by O Magazine, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Real Simple, The Guardian, and more

Finalist for: The Story Prize, The L.A. Times Book Prize, The Aspen Words Literary Prize, The Chautauqua Prize

“Sublime short stories of race, grief, and belonging ... an extraordinary new collection..." (The New Yorker)

“Evans’s new stories present rich plots reflecting on race relations, grief, and love...” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice)

“Danielle Evans demonstrates, once again, that she is the finest short story writer working today.” (Roxane Gay, The New York Times best-selling author of Difficult Women and Bad Feminist)

The award-winning author of Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self brings her signature voice and insight to the subjects of race, grief, apology, and American history.

Danielle Evans is widely acclaimed for her blisteringly smart voice and X-ray insights into complex human relationships. With The Office of Historical Corrections, Evans zooms in on particular moments and relationships in her characters’ lives in a way that allows them to speak to larger issues of race, culture, and history. She introduces us to Black and multiracial characters who are experiencing the universal confusions of lust and love, and getting walloped by grief - all while exploring how history haunts us, personally and collectively. Ultimately, she provokes us to think about the truths of American history - about who gets to tell them, and the cost of setting the record straight.

In “Boys Go to Jupiter", a White college student tries to reinvent herself after a photo of her in a Confederate-flag bikini goes viral. In “Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain", a photojournalist is forced to confront her own losses while attending an old friend’s unexpectedly dramatic wedding. And in the eye-opening title novella, a Black scholar from Washington, DC, is drawn into a complex historical mystery that spans generations and puts her job, her love life, and her oldest friendship at risk.

©2020 Danielle Evans (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“No other fiction I’ve read this year wears its profundity so lightly.” —The New Yorker

“Evans’s stories and their sensitivity to issues around race and power feel particularly resonant in 2020.” —The New York Times

“The title novella manages to combine George Orwell’s bureaucratic chill from 1984 with Toni Morrison’s elegant judgments from Beloved.” —The Washington Post

Wonderful!

SO WONDERFUL! A collection of short stories with unexpected twists and turns. The author did a great job of developing the main character while unwinding the plot. This tugged at my feelings both in a high and low way.

red states meet blue in a fascinating mix

Anyone with a foot in the rural United States of America needs to read immediately. The closing novella is a haunting and fair portrait of Wisconsin—more accurate than most I have read. The short stories are the perfect length to read as audio—long enough to get lost in, and read beautifully. Can't wait to follow what will surely be a long career for this writer.

Complicated and Necessary

This was such a great read. The perspectives and themes were refreshing and unexpected. I’ll definitely be recommending it to my friends.

Makes you think...

Very thought provoking and insightful. I appreciate hearing about another side of a story that may not always make it to what the public might see and hear. Would definitely recommend.

Great read

I wasn’t sure what to expect but wow…. I sat in silence for several minutes after the last story. Great read.

It is hard to describe how excellent Evans is.

I felt the full spectrum of emotions. Then, at the end of the collection, I thought to myself, will I ever be able to design even one sentence as perfectly as the last five I just listened to in the entire span of my life? Likely not, but even if I just managed one at this level, I’d still be giddy about it.

Captivating Stories, Great Writing & Narration

Loved short story format. Had my favorites however the use of "F***" is offensive and unnecessary.

Exceptional read!

I am recommending this book to anyone who is interested in creatively discovering racial equity.

Enjoyed

These stories were all great. The last one is good enough to be converted to a movie .

Absolutely Incredible

This is easily the best short story collection I’ve ever read. I thought about every story for days after I finished each of them. Highly, highly recommend.