Why Grandma Bought That Car... and Other Stories and Poems

Book excerpt: Short stories and poems from humorist and rom-com mystery novelist Anne R. Allen. Some stories, like "Vive La Revolution"--which first appeared in the edgy humor magazine Opium, are satire--and others are more heartfelt. But they are all humorous portraits of rebellious women at various stages of their lives. From aging Betty Jo, who feels so invisible she contemplates robbing a bank, to neglected 10-year-old Maude, who turns to a fantasy Elvis for the love she's denied by her patrician family, to a bloodthirsty Valley Girl version of Madam Defarge, these women—young and old—are all rebelling against the stereotypes and traditional roles that hold them back. Which is, of course, why Grandma bought that car…