The First Hurt: Stories

The women and girls found within the stories of Rachel Sherman's short story collection, The First Hurt are flawed--internally, externally--messed up, marked, imperfect. And that is what makes them so appealing. Within these pages, they show us their dark hearts, their secret bumps, the skin that they pick at. They show us what makes them tick, which is--as the narrator explains in the title story--the first hurt: "My grandmother has only seen me from my neck up. She has never even caught a peek of my terrain of secret skin. On my chest, my back, my arms, I have things growing at the base of me that only I can feel the first hurt of." And to touch herself in these places, to pick at herself and bring on the hurt is to show herself love. She says: "It's like magic: you touch your skin with the things you were given--hands and oil and pores. All you are doing is wiping yourself with love." Shame and pain are equal to love--this is terrain I am quite familiar with, as, I would guess, are many of us. All in all, it's a great collection and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Having only read this months ago, I'm finding the need to read again in order to feel these stories again. Great first collection and I look forward to her new works. It might be worthy to mention that these are somber stories. I love the way she ended these stories where you want more and feel cut off but ultimately being cut off was the perfect choice.

Rachel Sherman's book is impossible to put down. Its language is precise and vivid and the stories themselves so emotionally fine-tuned, I felt as if I were on the verge of laughing or crying the whole way through.

This author's stories of adolescence remind you of how glad you are that period of life is over, yet simultaneously allow you to reflect fondly on an awkward, uncomfortable time. She takes you into the minds of her characters, awakens feelings and thoughts that you don't remember (or have chosen not to remember) having until reading about them. The First Hurt does hurt, but its worth every page.

I love short stories, and these are some of the best I've read in a long time. They're sort of like A.M. Homes or Mary Gaitskill's stories: Funny and haunting and good at getting at what it's like when you encounter the threats and promises of the adult world as you grow up.