| On the Outskirts of Normal Subjects: FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Parenting / Single Parent.; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs.; Motherhood; Interracial adoption; Adoptive parents; Authors American; Authors American; After moving to a humble cottage outside of a tiny Texas town, Debra Monroe rids herself of an abusive husband, battles sexist contractors and workers as she renovates her home, and finally, after several disheartening letdowns, is able to adopt her beautiful baby daughter, Marie. Though elated that her dream is coming true, Monroe faces trials that befall her not just as a single mother but as a white mother of a black child. In On the Outskirts of Normal , two-time National Book Award nominee Monroe's heart creaks "like china with hairline cracks" each time a racist comment rolls their way or stares linger a little too long in their direction. Though she and her daughter face serious undiagnosed illnesses leading to innumerable, painful doctor visits, Monroe remains steadfast in her dedication to Marie and their small but tight family. DEBRA MONROE is the author of The Source of Trouble , winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. She is also the author of the short story collection A Wild, Cold State ; two novels, Newfangled and Shambles ; two memoirs, On the Outskirts of Normal and My Unsentimental Education (both Georgia); and the essay collection It Takes a Worried Woman (Georgia). She is the editor of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction. She lives in Austin, Texas, and teaches in the MFA program at Texas State University. |