A History of Heartache by Strickland, Patrick
A History of Heartache by Strickland, Patrick

A History of Heartache

In this debut collection, celebrated journalist Patrick Strickland's vivid and character-driven stories are as true to life...
$23.98 USD
$23.98 USD
Please hurry! Only 164 left in stock
Author: Patrick Strickland
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: $23.98
A History of Heartache by Strickland, Patrick

A History of Heartache

$23.98
A History of Heartache by Strickland, Patrick

A History of Heartache

$23.98
Author: Patrick Strickland
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Description
In this debut collection, celebrated journalist Patrick Strickland's vivid and character-driven stories are as true to life as his award-winning reportage.

In A History of Heartache, boys grow up fast in the blazing heat of North Texas, and men grow old before their time. A wayward son rides shotgun into a night he can't take back. A janitor at an abortion clinic can't outrun a ghost--or a camera. Strickland writes with clear-eyed realism and unsparing craftsmanship about common people--fathers and sons; widowers and junkies--poised on the knife-edge of hope.

With taut sentences and a wicked sense of humor, these 14 stories chart the small mercies and big mistakes that make a life: the songs we inherit, the bottles we empty, the tools we fashion from whatever's at hand. Gritty and tender in the same breath, this debut fiction collection asks what it costs to stay, what it takes to leave, and who we become when we do. Readers of Denis Johnson and Ron Rash will recognize the hard light, bruised humor, and sudden grace that burn through these pages.

Author: Patrick Strickland
Publisher: Melville House Publishing
Published: 04/21/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.44w x 0.95d
ISBN: 9781685892357


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 03/16/2026

About the Author
Patrick Strickland is an award-winning journalist and author from Texas who has reported from some fifteen countries across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, covering immigration, the rise of the far right, humanitarian catastrophes, armed conflict, and more. He was a 2024 de Groot Foundation Writer of Note. His reportage has appeared in The New York Review of Books, The Nation, The New Republic, Politico, The Guardian, Vice, In These Times, and elsewhere. Based in Athens, Greece, he is the managing editor of Inkstick Media. His previous books are Alerta! Alerta! Snapshots of Europe's Anti-Fascist Struggle, The Marauders: Standing Up to Vigilantes in the American Borderlands, and You Can Kill Each Other After I Leave: Refugees, Fascism, and Bloodshed in Greece.
Shipping & Return

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Review