"From the absurdly comic to the acutely moving"—eleven fearless stories of love, friendship, faith and family under siege (The New York Times Book Review).

Stretching from 19th century Ellis Island to 21st century Gaza and suburban Ohio,
"these 11 stories, each ambitious in scope, drop us into one nerve-racking situation after another . . . inhabiting a wide range of voices" ( The San Francisco Chronicle).

In "Coyote" a mother's need to protect her toddler spirals into a dangerous obsession. "Prisoners Do" follows two married doctors who find temporary escape in a discomforting affair. An Israeli woman risks more than she imagines when she attempts to reclaim her captive child from militants in "All the Sons of Cain." "Half-Life" uncovers the devastating secret behind a nanny's chosen profession; in "An Uncontaminated Soul" a haunted and lonely cat lady's impulsive rescue of two more kittens proves to be a heartbreaking turning point; and in the title story, an atheist family from Berkley relocates to the conservative Midwest to confront the consequences and limits of their beliefs.

"Brave, essential, thrilling, each story in You Should Pity Us Instead takes us to those places we've never dared visit before" (Ben Stroud). "They detonate on target, literary grenades of resounding impact . . . bursting with startling insights, stabbing dialogue, ambushing metaphor, and stunning moments of dissonance" ( Booklist).