The Gods of Women and their Mothers: Stories

In her dynamic debut collection, The Gods of Women and their Mothers, Brooke Turner presents a cast of women whose obsessions create a visceral panorama of the female experience. From a grandmother's infatuation with actor John Wayne to a young wife's addiction to psychics, The Gods of Women and their Mothers exposes its characters' deepest vulnerabilities and helps us reflect on the illusion of control and the methods we often use to sabotage our own peace.

Many of the stories display the tension of creating a version of faith and spirituality that bends to our own understanding of the world and what happens when we then create God in our own image. Here, the author presents the brutal reality of disillusionment and despair while keeping her stories still anchored, albeit somewhat precariously, to hope.

The Gods of Women and their Mothers: Stories was shortlisted for the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize in 2023.

Boom Box was a Top 3 Finalist for the 2023 Orison Books Best Spiritual Literature Awards.

The following stories were previously published:
Woman Friend - South 85 Journal, 2019
Silence - White Wall Review, 2020
Don't Look Directly At it - Eclectica, 2024