Short Synopsis
The debut of a major literary talent, Siobhan Fallon presents an unforgettable collection of interconnected short stories in the tradition of Tim O'Brien, Raymond Carver, and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Full Synopsis
In Fort Hood housing, like all army housing, you get used to hearing through the walls. You learn too much. And you learn to move quietly through your own small domain. You also know when the men are gone. No more boots stomping above, no more football games turned up too high, and, best of all, no more front doors slamming before dawn as they trudge out for their early formation, sneakers on metal stairs, cars starting, shouts to the windows above to throw them down their gloves on cold desert mornings. Babies still cry, telephones ring, Saturday morning cartoons screech, but without the men, there is a sense of muted silence, a sense of muted life.

There is an army of women waiting for their men to return to Fort Hood, Texas. As Siobhan Fallon shows in this collection of loosely interconnected short stories, each woman deals with her husband's absence differently. One wife, in an attempt to avoid thinking about the risks her husband faces in Iraq, develops an unhealthy obsession with the secret life of her neighbor. Another woman's simple trip to the PX becomes unbearable when she pulls into her Gold Star parking space. And one woman's loneliness may lead to dire consequences when her husband arrives home. In gripping, no-nonsense stories that will leave you shaken, Fallon allows you into a world tightly guarded by gates and wire. It is a place where men and women cling to the families they have created as the stress of war threatens to pull them apart.

Track listing for You Know When the Men Are Gone:

Disc 1

"You Know When the Men Are Gone"—Track 1

"Camp Liberty"—Track 21

Disc 2

"Remission"—Track 15

Disc 3

"Inside the Break"—Track 7

"The Last Stand"—Track 22

Disc 4

"Leave"—Track 14

Disc 5

"You Survived the War, Now Survive the Homecoming"—Track 6

"Gold Star"—Track 17

"Fallon's work is remarkably real, and each story's characters immediately grip the reader." ---Library Journal Starred Review

"Actress/Audie Award [winner] Cassandra Campbell narrates in a clear voice that emphasizes each character's individuality. Strongly recommended for listeners seeking an inside look at military life as well as for anyone interested in well-written, engaging stories." ---Library Journal Starred Audio Review

"Siobhan Fallon tells gripping, straight-up, no-nonsense stories about American soldiers and their families." ---Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"A terrific and terrifically illuminating book." ---The Washington Post

"Significant both as war stories and love stories, this collection certifies Fallon as an indisputable talent." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"A fresh look at the Iraq war as it plays out on the domestic front." ---Kirkus

"[Fallon] reminds us of the outsized burden our military families carry, that the overseas casualty counts carried in newscasts can never tell the whole truth." ---The Los Angeles Times

Audible Bestseller

Audie Finalist

Library Journal Review

Library Journal Audio

New York Times' Janet Maslin's Pick

AudioFile Earphones Award Winner

Publishers Weekly Review