American Housewife

American Housewife is a collection of twelve short stories centered on the sharp, often surreal lives of women navigating domesticity. The narratives feature characters who manage high-rise apartments, compete in high-stakes bridge tournaments, and engage in psychological warfare with their neighbors. In one story, an author attempts to maintain her dignity during a humiliating promotional campaign for a tampon brand; in another, a woman discovers her husband is part of a secret society of men who perform housework in the dark. These stories focus on the internal aggression and performative etiquette required to survive the social hierarchies of the Upper East Side and the American South.

Readers who enjoy dry, subversive humor and dark satire will find this collection aligns with their tastes. It is written for those who appreciate seeing the polite veneer of traditional femininity stripped away to reveal calculated ambition and eccentricity. By the end, the reader understands the specific maneuvers women use to exert power within domestic boundaries. They walk away with a cynical perspective on social niceties and a gallery of characters who prioritize their own private logic over societal expectations.