Everything That Rises Must Converge: Stories

Flannery O'Connor's last collection gathers nine stories set in the American South. In the title story, a mother who clings to her old Southern pride takes a bus with her son, an educated liberal, and a Black passenger sits beside her. Other stories, including "Greenleaf," "Revelation," and "Parker's Back," put stubborn, self-righteous people into collision with grace, often through violence or a shocking encounter. O'Connor writes with dark humor and a Catholic vision.

Readers who like Southern Gothic, sharp comedy, and fiction about faith will find it demanding and brilliant. It suits those who want to see how a short story can end in sudden, shocking moral clarity.

Deep, inward-looking, contemplative, open-ended and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Wisdom Collector. Which reader are you?