What happens if hard work doesn't pay off and dreams don't come true? Do bad times last forever? Hands, the remarkable debut from Pardeep Toor, follows Hans, a downtrodden and aimless immigrant pursuing the so-called American Dream by any means necessary. A racist incident forces Hans to quit school and drive a taxi. An unhinged fare and unjustified arrest makes Hans question whether he belongs in this foreign land. And a toxic relationship confirms his cultural isolation within his own community. Illuminating a degenerate immigrant experience littered with hope and failure, Hands interrogates the contradiction between the lofty ideals of assimilating in America and the brutal comedy of the journey.
About the Author :
Pardeep Toor is the winner of the PEN American Dau Prize, and his writing has appeared in the Best Debut Short Stories 2021, Southern Humanities Review, Electric Literature, Midwest Review, and Longreads. He grew up in Brampton, Ontario, and currently lives in Colorado.
Review :
"In this debut collection, the American Dream borders on nightmarish. Following protagonist Hans from high school into adulthood, the stories provide glimpses into his efforts to navigate his relationship to work, love, selfhood, and cultural identity."
-PEN America
"Toor shows us that a blue collar life in America is a hard one and reminds us that one's inner life can remain something else entirely: a rich world of one's own."
-Necessary Fiction
"In Hands, short stories point friends toward the American Dream."
-Colorado Sun
"Brilliant . . . a beautiful work of art."
-Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, National Book Award Finalist
"Beautifully crafted, resonant, and remarkable. . . . Pardeep Toor is an exciting, bold new writer with endless talent."
-Brandon Hobson, National Book Award Finalist
"Toor writes sharply and movingly. . . . Seedy at times, hilarious, and deeply engrossing, this is an unforgettable collection."
-Anna Qu, author of Made In China
"As devastating, hilarious, and absurd as the immigrant experience itself. "
-Maria Kuznetsova, author of Oksana, Behave!
