Groff's Fates and Furies blew me away when I first read, and I recommended it to as many people as possible. Since then, whenever I've encountered another of her works, I have sought it out immediately. Florida is her second collection of short stories. Almost all of them are captivating. That there is a certain amount of overlap does not matter. Indeed, it is probably intentional. For Groff, Florida is both a place and a state of mind; it is haunted and haunting. There is an effortless beauty of lyricism and turn of phrase in each story. Where there is commonality, it is around the narrators - always female - trying to confront a world that is going out of control. At a macro level, Groff concerns herself with imminent environmental catastrophe, poignant and pertinent in the state of Florida. From a micro perspective, Groff writes about the constant struggle for perfection (many) women feel - as mothers, daughters and wives. The premise of escape or abandonment of the real world looms large. The promise embedded in mythmaking, both real and imagined, is an enticing one too, compelling and very readable. 9 out of 10.
By Lauren Groff