In each of these elegant and mesmerizing stories, Kim Edwards explores the lives of those who exist on the fringes of society--a fire-eater, an American and his Korean war bride, a juggler and a trapeze artist. Spanning several generations and transporting us to exotic locations in Europe, Asia, and America, this wise and exquisite story collection marks the debut of a gifted new voice in literature.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Impeccable, a treasure...[Kim Edwards] shows herself to be a fully realized writer.... Edwards's brilliance is evident in the way she constructs a story." --Patricia Lear, The Chicago Tribune
"[An] accomplished first collection.... The Secrets of a Fire King gives eloquence to their astonishing range of discoveries, and leaves the reader entranced."--Nina Sonenberg, The New York Times Book Review
"Striking...powerful."--Amanda Heller, The Boston Globe
"Stunning...[Edwards's] sinuous prose and endless empathy work their spell....Radiant, original, and passionate, these are memorable stories." --Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever
"[An] accomplished first collection.... The Secrets of a Fire King gives eloquence to their astonishing range of discoveries, and leaves the reader entranced."--Nina Sonenberg, The New York Times Book Review
"Striking...powerful."--Amanda Heller, The Boston Globe
"Stunning...[Edwards's] sinuous prose and endless empathy work their spell....Radiant, original, and passionate, these are memorable stories." --Andrea Barrett, author of Ship Fever
About the Author
Kim Edwards's stories have appeared in The Paris Review, Antaeus, and Story and have been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Pushcart Prize. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
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More About the Author
Kim Edwards grew up in Skaneateles, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. The oldest of four children, she graduated from Colgate University and the University of Iowa, where she received an MFA in Fiction and an MA in Linguistics. After completing her graduate work, she went with her husband to Asia, where they spent the next five years teaching, first on the rural east coast of Malaysia, then in a small city an hour south of Tokyo, and finally in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
During her time in Asia, Kim began to publish short fiction, and in 1990 her story 'Sky Juice' won the Nelson Algren Award. Her stories and essays have since appeared in a wide range of periodicals, including Ploughshares, Zoetrope, Anteaus, Story, and The Paris Review. They have won many honors, including a National Magazine Award for Excellence in Fiction and a Pushcart Prize, as well as inclusion in The Best American Short Stories. Two of her stories have been performed at Symphony Space and broadcast on Public Radio International. Kim has also received support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council, among others. Her story collection The Secrets of a Fire King was short-listed for the 1998 Pen/Hemingway Award.
Penguin will reissue The Secrets of a Fire King in 2007.
Kim Edwards received a Whiting Writers' Award in 2002. She has taught in the MFA programs at Warren Wilson and Washington University, and is currently an assistant professor at The University of Kentucky. Her novel, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, was selected for a Barnes and Noble Discovery Award and won the Kentucky Literary Award for Fiction in 2005. The Memory Keeper's Daughter, a #1 New York Times Best Seller in the United States, will also be published in Italy, Japan, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Portugal, Spain, Poland, China, Taiwan, Israel, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
During her time in Asia, Kim began to publish short fiction, and in 1990 her story 'Sky Juice' won the Nelson Algren Award. Her stories and essays have since appeared in a wide range of periodicals, including Ploughshares, Zoetrope, Anteaus, Story, and The Paris Review. They have won many honors, including a National Magazine Award for Excellence in Fiction and a Pushcart Prize, as well as inclusion in The Best American Short Stories. Two of her stories have been performed at Symphony Space and broadcast on Public Radio International. Kim has also received support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kentucky Arts Council, among others. Her story collection The Secrets of a Fire King was short-listed for the 1998 Pen/Hemingway Award.
Penguin will reissue The Secrets of a Fire King in 2007.
Kim Edwards received a Whiting Writers' Award in 2002. She has taught in the MFA programs at Warren Wilson and Washington University, and is currently an assistant professor at The University of Kentucky. Her novel, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, was selected for a Barnes and Noble Discovery Award and won the Kentucky Literary Award for Fiction in 2005. The Memory Keeper's Daughter, a #1 New York Times Best Seller in the United States, will also be published in Italy, Japan, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Portugal, Spain, Poland, China, Taiwan, Israel, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW,
By
This review is from: The Secrets of a Fire King (Paperback)
After each story I read, I was overwhelmed with emotion and awe. These stories are amazing and beautiful. Wow is all I can say. I read Kim Edwards' novel Memory Keeper's Daughter and really enjoyed it, but this book of short stories is simply phenomenal for the way it challenged my mind and stirred up emotion inside me that I can't explain. Definately read it!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astounding,
By
This review is from: The Secrets of a Fire King (Paperback)
This was a fantastic collection of stories. The standout one for me was at about page 100, the story of a woman in a SE Asian country who - as a 40-year "veteran" of the ex-pat experience - deigns to share her knowledge and experience with the newcomers... until the day she learns how little she actually knows about the culture in which she uncomfortably resides. Brilliant stuff.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
3.5 stars,
This review is from: The Secrets of a Fire King (Paperback)
Kim Edwards is clearly an excellent writer with unique stories to tell. Can't wait for her to write another novel.
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