Both Ways is the Only Way I Want it

Caught between opposing forces – fidelity and desire, impulse and security, innocence and experience – these unforgettable characters have each reached a fork in the road. But what kind of fool only wants it one way? Funny, sly and sparkling with energy, BOTH WAYS IS THE ONLY WAY I WANT IT confirms Maile Meloy as an enthralling storyteller.

Reviews of Both Ways is the Only Way I Want it

* Brilliant. Helen Fielding * A true and rare find. Richard Ford * Meloy's style is as fresh and brisk as an ocean breeze. Sunday Times * Meloy writes wonderfully well. Guardian * She's such a talented and unpredictable writer that I'm officially joining her fan club. Guardian * Moving, compassionate and amusing. Daily Mail * Clever, calm, funny … absolutely compulsive. Daily Telegraph * Meloy writes with both fearlessness and true compassion, two talents that are rarely combined. — Ann Patchett on LIARS AND SAINTS * Meloy writes elegantly and precisely, never wasting a word…a terrific read. — Time Out on Meloy's HALF IN LOVE * Meloy is able to give convincing voice to a huge range of characters…and she harnesses skilfully the power of the untold secrets that underlie the story. — Guardian on Meloy's LIARS AND SAINTS * Wise, witty and beautifully written — Helen Fielding on LIARS AND SAINTS * The opening story in this deft collection could be Annie Proulx, while the last recalls Tobias Wolff … Maile Meloy has a range and flexibility well beyond her years … There is an exactitude and simplicity to these assured and beautifully constructed stories, which are often told from the perspective of those who lack much authority over their lives. Observer * One of the best of our contemporary short-story writers, Maile Meloy's star is rapidly rising – and this brilliant collection shows why. Sunday Business Post * Meloy has such a sure handle in what to leave out. Her style is impressively unshowy: it's not even showily unshowy, not seeing the need to draw attention to its pared-down restraint. London Review of Books