A Failure to Communicate

A Failure to Communicate, S. Andrea Allen’s debut collection of short fiction and essays, focuses on how communication, or the lack thereof, impacts Black women’s lives. The stories range from the humorous to the heartbreaking: one woman wins a bake-off because her co-worker misunderstands the contest; an overweight woman finally learns to love herself, even though it means leaving her girlfriend.

A teenager reflects on his mother’s inability to discuss her depression; a woman realizes that her partner has been hiding a gambling addiction, and has to decide whether to help her or save herself. The women in this collection are often silenced, but Allen imbues them with a voice that demands to be heard.