In a humorous, often tragic, and haunting collection of stories Quinn Dalton’s Bulletproof Girl explores the lives of women–young and old–who would like to disappear, to overcome, to become invincible, bulletproof.
I liked all of these stories, but was especially drawn to “Midnight Bowling” about a Midwestern teenager, Tessie, in the 80s whose AIDs striken father has killed himself (rather than die scorned and depleted in his small town) and whose mother has become a religious freak with a creepy married boyfriend. What could be a depressing story, turns into a story of hope when Tessie escapes from her mother and makes her way to college. And in doing so, we cheer for her, want her to survive and thrive, and, most importantly, hope that she becomes bulletproof.
Each story is, in its own way, touching and evidence of the talent of this writer.
myfanwy collins 