Vanishing and Other Stories

The stories in Vanishing show the magic of fiction at its best: fully realized worlds inseparable from the uncanny fact that they exist as mere words, magnificently strung together. - The Globe and Mail

The fourteen arresting stories in [Willis's] debut collection are about to hurtle her into the literary spotlight.... She elicits immediate curiosity about her characters. Right away we want to know: Who are these people? What are their stories? Yet her methods remain mysterious. If possible, Willis's prose is even less showy than Munro's: It is not merely down to earth, but of the earth. Her words feel essential and elemental. She is one of those writers who make fiction feel less of a genre than a language unto itself. - Gazette (Montreal)

If I were a betting man, I'd put a sack of cash on Deborah Willis becoming a nationally renowned writer ... a remarkably accomplished collection. - Times Colonist

Even-tempered, sober and intimate, Willis's debut collection has a gravity that suggests both the conventionality and maturity of an author well into her career. But if echoes of Mavis Gallant and Alice Munro (and, in the hard-luck stories, Raymond Carver) reveal her as an astute apprentice, Willis also illustrates her talent for crafting stories that confidently reflect her distinctive techniques and voice ... Her succession of insights about the small moments people share and the consequences of individual choices keep us turning pages, enthralled. - Vancouver Sun

Spare, haunting, and insightful, these stories are wonderfully wrought snapshots about human frailty and loss that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. - Calgary Herald

Willis' work is matter-of-fact on the surface, but beneath this veneer, it is absolutely propelled through to its captivating conclusion. The reader knows what will be discovered ... yet cannot stop reading or look away ... I wouldn't be surprised to see [the book] shortlisted for an award or two next year. - Eye Weekly

Though the stories share themes and narrative tone, each stands firmly on its own, with Willis in full control as the characters face down their losses. - Publishers Weekly

A remarkable new writer, Willis delivers 14 lovely tales and countless vivid moments in her first fiction collection... It is stunning to see how Willis' characters shape themselves around what is missing in their lives, and to see how Willis takes such care with all of the people who inhabit her stories. Readers will feel the joy of discovery in reading an emerging writer whose work will crowd our bookshelves for years to come. - Booklist

Vanishing and Other Stories is a book of rare insight into the complications of the human heart. Light of touch but deep in content, Deborah Willis's stories startle, exhilarate and radiate with piercing insights. Original and deftly structured, all 14 continue to resonate long after the book is finished. - Canada Council for the Arts