An Astonishment of Stars: Stories

A beautifully written short story collection that charts the lives of racialized women as they navigate their relationships, aspirations, and the burdens of memory and expectations

“Sharply observed and gracefully told, this is a collection shining with all the unexpected delights and defeats that make up a life.” — Anuja Varghese, author of Chrysalis

The wife who uses the name of her white husband in public. The mother who cleans the small-town hospital while her daughter moves to the city to forget their shared past. The well-behaved teen girl who anxiously watches her older sister slip further and further away from their hovering parents. Each of these characters is both familiar and singular, reminding us of women we have been, of our mothers and daughters, neighbors and adversaries.

Kirti Bhadresa is a keen observer of humanity, especially of the BIPOC women whose domestic and professional work is the backbone of late-stage capitalism but whose lives receive so little attention in mainstream culture. An Astonishment of Stars is a collection that sees those who are unseen and cuts to the heart of contemporary womanhood, community collisions, and relationships both chosen and forced upon us.

Kirti Bhadresa’s fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, The Quarantine Review, The Sprawl, and Room, and she has been a finalist for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award in the category of Feature Writing. Bhadresa lives with her family in Calgary, AB, on Treaty 7 territory.

ISBN: 9781770417373
Format: Paperback
Pages: 296
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: October 01, 2024

“Perfect for readers of incisive stories, this collection gently unravels the everyday dilemmas in modern BIPOC families.” — Booklist“To be a contemporary racialized woman is to be noticed but also invisible, and Bhadresa deftly explores these paradoxical spaces. A gorgeously observed collection by a wonderfully gifted writer.” — Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo and Tell Me Pleasant Things about Immortality: Stories“Each of these stories is a small miracle, and I can’t wait to see where Bhadresa’s own star catapults from here.” — Amy Jones, author of Pebble & Dove and Every Little Piece of Me“In stories that can encompass a novel’s worth of time and events, Kirti Bhadresa melds style and sincerity with her focused craft. With vivid insight into labour, family and different forms of exile, Bhadresa finds light in the imperfect, real lives of her characters.” — Naben Ruthnum, author of Helpmeet“Sharply observed and gracefully told, Bhadresa offers a collection shining with all the unexpected delights and defeats that make up a life.” — Anuja Varghese, author of Chrysalis“From rebellious teens to a levitating aunty, An Astonishment of Stars brings us unforgettable characters in stories ranging from the everyday to the fantastical. A great talent and a great read.” — Naheed Nenshi, former mayor of Calgary“In all of her stories, Bhadresa addresses race brilliantly and incisively. A must read.” — Danila Botha, author of Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness“Overall, An Astonishment of Stars is a compelling collection of short stories which can be enjoyed by young adult audiences and beyond. Bhadresa’s book is a great read for ethnic minorities to realize they are not alone in their experiences and for everyone else to realize the complexities of racial and cultural identities in a country as diverse as Canada.” — The Gateway“Roveena Gnanabakthan’s narration magnifies the poignant and multifaceted stories of BIPOC women who are navigating the tensions of identity, community, and family ... The narration underscores the themes of resilience and invisibility, drawing attention to lives often overlooked while illuminating the complex intersections of contemporary womanhood and community.” — AudioFile Magazine“In these tightly coiled and exquisitely rendered short stories, Bhadresa invites readers into the lives of ordinary characters and tilts and twists the lens just-so, in order that the truth and beauty of their lives is refracted in startling and compelling new ways ... In short, a Bhadresa short story will either make you laugh or make you cry, and frequently it will do both. An Astonishment of Stars is a deeply nuanced, intelligent new voice in the Canlit landscape that tells stories about our struggle to contemporaneously belong and to break free — or, as I imagine Bhadresa might explain it, she simply sows stories about how we branch forward gloriously once we’ve rooted ourselves strongly.” — The t?mz Review