Cracker Jacks for Misfits
Winner of the 2022 AICW Bressani Literary Prize for First Book
Finalist for the 2019 Relit Awards Best Story Collection
In a series of interconnected short stories, Christine Ottoni tells the tale of a highly sensitive caregiver, Naomi, and her relationship with her reclusive, artistic mother, Joanne. From a whirlwind romance with a manic bartender named Marce, to an intense friendship with an ineffectual alcoholic named Jake, Naomi’s search for intimacy and home is marked by urban claustrophobia and loneliness.
The characters of Cracker Jacks for Misfits are hungry for human connection. They look for it online, in the unfamiliar bedrooms of Toronto, and in hushed conversations with strangers. Their stories are real—so real that we can all identify with their struggle.
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“Ottoni weaves a symphonic tapestry of strength and courage.”
—Bruce Meyer, author/editor of over 60 books; inaugural Poet Laureate of Barrie, Ontario.
“Ottoni’s style is subtle and direct, evoking a trace of Mary Karr and the cleanness of Cormac McCarthy.”
—Teresa Toten, Governor General’s Literary Award winner for The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B.