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>
zlib_text: This is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and incidents are
  products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to
  be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales,
  organizations, or persons--living or dead--is entirely coincidental.
  
    
  
  Lawless Ride copyright @ 2014 by Emily Stone. All rights reserved. No part of
  this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
  permission except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical
  articles or reviews.
  
  CHAPTER ONE
  
    
  
  Cynthia waves a hand in front of my face. “Who are you staring at, sweetie?”
  
    
  
  I motion toward Peter Gallagher with a raise of my eyebrows.
  
    
  
  She chuckles. “You can do better than that, love.”
  
    
  
  “Oh yeah?”
  
    
  
  Cynthia glances back over her shoulder to where Peter has just moved on to
  another table of people to chat with. He has their attention instantly—guys
  nodding and laughing, girls virtually batting eyelashes at him. “He’s a 