Flights of Angels

Critical Praise

"Every story is a gem." -Joan Mellen, Baltimore Sun

Here are nineteen new reasons why, as the Washington Post Book World puts it, "Ellen Gilchrist should be declared a national treasure." Whether exploring the mind/body problem in a Los Angeles medical clinic that caters solely to hypochondriacs or portraying the machinations of a large Southern family that has gathered to attend its patriarch's death, the stories of Ellen Gilchrist seek-and uncover-the secrets of the human heart.

"A satisfying collection....Gilchrist brings to each story an engaging sense of compassion and a saving sense of humor." -Merle Rubin, Los Angeles Times Book Review

"It's the women who shine here, as they cope with dying patriarchs, aging playboys, children and drugs, racial violence, afternoon affairs, and holiday flings....Gilchrist's characters are blessed with very human faults and an irrepressible exuberance for life." -Daneet Steffens, Entertainment Weekly

"With these 19 stories Gilchrist ventures further into the morally ambiguous landscape of contemporary America than she has perhaps ever ventured before....Readers will find the penetrating intellect, deep compassion, and dark sense of humor that mark Gilchrist's best work and place it among the best writing coming out of the South-or anywhere else, for that matter-today." -Ron Carter, Richmond Times-Dispatch