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A topical story collection with great humor and heart about the ripple effects of wealth disparity on women
Set in the near future, Tougher Than the Rest features women in different stages of life―from former trophy wives and activist yoga obsessives to retail and white-collar workers―in an urban environment rife with wealth disparity. Their stories are linked by a corporate real estate developer who affects the protagonists' lives in ways both small and large, each one inspired by a classic song title from a hypermasculine artist.
In "Tougher Than the Rest," a low-income gig worker moderates comments on YouTube. In "Night Moves," a dental office receptionist buys a second-hand sex robot at the Salvation Army. In "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," a woman grieving her husband's potential suicide encounters talking animals and cryptids who become the tough love she needs. In "Dream On," a social media influencer undergoes a drastic surgery to make her face literally more adaptable.
A clever and wry commentary on class, technology, white feminism, love and friendship, gender roles, and the loneliness of the modern world, in which you're always at the mercy of rich assholes, Tougher Than the Rest is for those who are angry but need some hope and humor to get through it all. Outlandish yet emotionally honest, this collection affirms Del Bucchia as a singular voice in capturing the zeitgeist of women in contemporary culture.
"Tougher Than the Rest is funny and dark in all the right places. It's everything that I enjoy in a short story collection: a not-too-distant future, intricate characters that are endearing and vexing, a struggle with dominating technologies, and a compelling look at community relationships and human responsibilities. Dina Del Bucchia's sharp wit and keen attention to detail create utterly engrossing prose. These astute stories are thoroughly unique and entertaining, and I hope she explores more of this fascinating world she's generated in future books."
—Waubgeshig Rice, author of Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves
"No one is writing about class and wealth disparity like Dina Del Bucchia, and Tougher Than the Rest reads like a guide for navigating the absurdity and ruthlessness of late-stage capitalism while still hanging on to your humanity. In these stories, characters search for real connection in a world where technology and corporate greed try to keep everyone isolated from one another, and the result is a collection that will make you simultaneously want to call your best friend and also dust off the guillotine. Del Bucchia's writing is wry without being cynical, dark without being despairing, funny without being glib, and above all, honest without spiralling into hopelessness. The horrors persist, but as Del Bucchia reminds us, so do we."
—Amy Jones, author of We're All in This Together and Pebble & Dove
"Tougher Than the Rest is a collection of stories that build like stacking blocks and connect like a web, with sharp prose equally humorous and dark. Grief hums beneath the surface of every story; characters grieve people lost to death or circumstance, the ballooning climate crisis, and lives made unlivable by late-stage capitalism. These same characters are forever reaching for connection and often find it in other women, friendships, and girlhood. You won't be able to put this one down."
—Jessica Johns, author of Bad Cree
"Tougher Than the Rest is a tender collection of stories that explore Vancouver of the near future. Dina Del Bucchia's prose is wry, captivating, and cutting, as we spend time with lonely workers and outcasts trying to keep on keeping on in a world that values developers, celebrity, and wealth above all else. A moving, entertaining read."
—Zoe Whittall, author of No Credit River
Dina Del Bucchia (she/her) is the author of the story collection Don't Tell Me What to Do (Arsenal Pulp Press) and five collections of poetry: Coping with Emotions and Otters, Rom Com (written with Daniel Zomparelli), It's a Big Deal!, You're Gonna Love This (all Talonbooks), and Blind Items (Insomniac Press). For ten years she hosted Can't Lit, a podcast on Canadian literature and culture, with Jen Sookfong Lee. She was the artistic director of the Real Vancouver Writers' Series and is on the editorial board of independent publisher fine press. She lives in Vancouver, BC.