title: Thirteen Ways of Looking: Fiction
author:  Colum McCann 
description: &ldquo;Extraordinary . . . incandescent.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Chicago Tribune</i></b><br><br>&ldquo;The irreducible mystery of human experience ties this small collection together, and in each of these stories [Colum] McCann explores that theme in some strikingly effective ways. . . . McCann has perfected a method of finely blending his own narration with his characters&rsquo; thoughts and dialogue. . . . [The first story] is as fascinating as it is poignant. . . . [The second] captures the mundane and mysterious aspects of shaping characters from the gray clay of words, placing them in realistic settings and breathing life into their lungs. . . . That he makes the story so emotionally compelling is a sign of his genius. . . . The most remarkable [piece] is <i>Sh&rsquo;khol</i>. . . . Caught in the rushing currents of this drama, you know you&rsquo;re reading a little masterpiece. . . . [It&rsquo;s] only one of the treasures in this collection.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Washington Post</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann is a writer of power and subtlety and beauty. . . . The powerful title story loiters in the mind long after you&rsquo;ve read it.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Sarah Lyall, <i>The New York Times</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;[McCann] unspools complex and unforgettable stories in this, his first collection in more than a decade.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Boston Globe</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann is a passionate writer whose impulse is always toward a generous understanding of his diverse characters.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Wall Street Journal</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;McCann&rsquo;s characters in this new work&mdash;whether nuns or judges or writers&mdash;are mostly ordinary people encountering extraordinary situations often touched by loss. Powerful, profound, and deeply empathetic, McCann&rsquo;s beautifully wrought writing in <i>Thirteen Ways of Looking</i> glides off the page.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>BuzzFeed</i></b><br> <b><i>&#160;</i></b><br> &ldquo;In just three short stories and one novella, McCann weaves the magic that made <i>Let the Great World Spin</i> so acclaimed&mdash;especially in one brilliant short piece of metafiction in which the process of writing a story becomes interwoven with the story created.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The Huffington Post</i></b><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>
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  ![Illustration](e9781420142549_cover.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE MAN WAS DEFINITELY NO HERMIT, BACKWOODS OR OTHERWISE
  
  
  Sawyer Hartwell was a bigger-than-life, broadly smiling, welcome-everybody
  kind of guy. Emphasis on the big part. A towering six-five to her heretofore-
  thought-of-as-tall five-foot-eight frame, he had a white slash of a smile that
  some might describe as cocky but was at the very least boldly confident. That
  smile was framed by twin, deep-set dimples that propped up well-defined
  cheekbones, all of it topped by a pair of crystal blue eyes that appeared to
  channel every bit of light in that beautiful sky above directly through them.
  His dark hair was close cropped, almost military style, which only served to
  enhance his chiseled . . . everything. He was, in a word, gorgeous. As all
  hell. And then some. And me with no fan.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Also by Bestselling Author Donna Kauffman
  
  
  THE SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP  
  HERE COMES TROUBLE  
  A GREAT KISSER  
  TO ALL A 