In this collection of shorts (and one novella), Danielle Evans shows women going through the rites of life and death, work and love, the undercurrents of race omnipresent, sometimes subtle and at other times overt; but never absent. Among my favorites were 'Happily Ever After' wherein a young woman contemplates the grit and trials of her mother's perhaps untimely death against the backdrop of a magical world being created for a popstar's music video; and 'Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain' in which a young woman untethered and unattached attends the wedding of a man whom she perhaps might have attached herself to, if she dared. Even though not featuring a Black main protagonist, I very much liked 'Boys Go to Jupiter'. In it, a white college co-ed wears a Confederate bikini and unwittingly becomes the symbol of something she isn't sure she even believes; the ensuing brouhaha causes her to reflect on her childhood friendship with a Black girl, that fractured for reasons she doesn't completely understand. In the short, after which the collection is named, an ambitious professional who has always played it safe on the race issue finds herself at odds yet again with her lifelong frenemy who takes a much more bold stance which she finds both admirable and uncomfortable. As a collection, the stories were entertaining and unpredictable, illustrating the various quirks of living in a society that is both race-obsessed and hesitant to acknowledge its obsession. I might have enjoyed these stories more if I didn't feel like all the Black women characters were essentially the same person, even though on the surface their occupations and personalities were different. They all had the same somewhat glib way of looking at and thinking about the world that ultimately to me felt like the author's voice overpowering and drowning out those of the characters she created. At times, I felt like I was reading a series of essays about race written in story form. But perhaps that was the point. Recommended for readers of literary fiction and satire.

Danielle Evans offers commentary through short stories covering issues of misinformation and misunderstandings. The title piece is actually a novella while the others are shorter stories. I enjoyed the different views and some of the stories will stay with me for a long time. I think I would have loved a full novel about The Office of Historical Corrections so the novella was my favorite part!

This collection was such a breath of fresh air. Every short story felt contained, yet each contained multitudes. It was so expansive - covering sex, family, friendship, work - yet the book felt cohesive, which I can't say for every collection of short stories.

I really loved this book. Evans is an incredible writer and managed to create compelling characters that stuck with me more than any other book of short stories I've read. Her stories were thought-provoking and compelling and gave just enough to keep you on your toes a bit. Could not recommend this enough.

This collection is wildly imaginative and disturbingly accurate, making for an engaging and powerful read.

This was my first book of 2021 as part of my goal to read more short story and essay collections. And wow, what a perfect one to start off with. On January 6 the Capitol was stormed by a group of white supremacists, incited and encouraged by President Trump. It was just another reminder of how entrenched our country is in racism and how white supremacy always has and continues to run rampant. This collection tells the story of multiple Black women and reconsiders history and the intricacies of our current society. It is visceral, relevant, and well structured. I found myself fully invested in each and every complicated character and was left wanting more. [Content warning for racism, hate crime, death, racial slurs, gun violence]

Danielle Evans is one of the premiere short story writers of our generation. Her long awaited collection The Office of Historical Corrections is well worth the wait since her last book Before You Suffocate Your Fool Self. TOOHC gives us a look at grief and memory and how to correct the mistakes of the past, if we can. Every story is full of bite. This is definitely a collection meant to re-read and share and re-read again.

An incredible collection- the novella was particularly well-done and the short story that took place on a college campus was striking; incisive, evocative, and damning. The first short story wasn't my favorite, but literally every single one after that was great. This book distills what it means to be a human in the world today into these stories, and not a single word goes to waste. Evans is such a talent, and I can't wait to read more from her.

Six short stories and one novella compose the framework for the themes of racism, injustice, mothers, daughters and decisions, past and present, which determine the trajectory of one's life. In order to allow time to think about the background and issues in each story, I would not read these stories quickly. For me it was more of a "stop and think" book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for the eARC of this original and exciting book of short stories.

The stories in The Office of Historical Corrections are written in prose that is suggested by the bright, primary colors of the cover. Evans's setups and characters are fresh, smartly drawn, and feel perfect for our societal and literary moment. 

Highly recommended.

This is a wonderful collection of short stories, about loss and regret, and being misunderstood. Ms. Evans plays with fantasy at times but in a way that never feels impossible - she stretches what we know as real to show us what we might have missed in the world. She is a lovely writer, sharp and playful. I recommend this book highly

One of the best short story collections I’ve ever read, every single story (and the novella itself) was mesmerizing and there was a real depth to the narratives that is truly special to see in the short story form.

Yes!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK. I even stopped in the middle of reading it to text my book club and tweet about how everyone should read it. This is a rare collection where no story is weak. If I HAD to choose, I predict the first story will be the least memorable for me, but I still enjoyed it. And the novella was amazing. This would be a great book club pick as there is so much to discuss in every story.

In this incisive new collection, Danielle Evans (Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self) explores class, race, love, and family through her protagonists’ struggles to find their footing in adulthood. In one story, a white college student posts a photo of herself in a Confederate-flag bikini, unwittingly igniting a major controversy on campus. In another, a woman and her adult daughter each yearn for retribution that never materializes. While researching the story of a Black man who may have been murdered in a small Wisconsin town, a historian makes a disturbing discovery that complicates the mystery in ways she never imagined. Though many characters feel weary from coping with microaggressions and myriad instances of discrimination, the tone is optimistic rather than disheartening; These young women are unflappable, astute, and fearless as they strive to carve out satisfying lives for themselves. Uniting several of the stories, too, is a current of grief around losing one’s mother, and Evans explores this acute pain with insight and sensitivity. This captivating collection from a vibrant literary talent is not to be missed.

Each story has stuck with me. Each one is a multilayered exploration of how the past is anything but long gone. I think this is going to hit at least one awards list next year.

I'm not generally a short story reader, but I found this collection and the novella stunning. Each story is compelling and complex,. The novella is something that a person could spend years trying to unpack on a sentence to sentence level and still maintains a narrative propulsion that makes you want to speed along to the conclusion. Highly recommended.

Insightful and poignant.  Tellings of real failures in society and how they overcome.  Timely.  Brings about the issues of racial inequity and privilege.

**This review was published in New Orleans Review**
https://www.neworleansreview.org/the-office-of-historical-corrections/ 

“It was the winter after the most depressing election of my adult life, a low point for my faith in the polis, and I had started keeping an unofficial tally in my head of how much I trusted each new white person I met. It was a pitiful tally because I had decided most of them would forgive anyone who harmed me, would worry more about vocal antiracism ruining the holiday party season and causing the cheese plates to go to waste than about the lives and sanity of the nonwhite humans in their midst” (210).

The way history is taught, passed down, or even written about in textbooks is not defined by the facts of the events, but rather it is determined by the perspective of those who are telling the stories. With a Presidential election season that made us all feel as though life was just one big anxiety attack after another, now is a better time than any to reflect on U.S. history and the way it has been passed down. A great place to start is by reading Danielle Evans’ short story collection (and novella), The Office of Historical Corrections, which addresses the complexity of grief while also exploring issues of race, the stripping of Black culture and history, and sex through a woman’s perspective... continue reading on New Orleans Review's website!

Danielle Evans is a master of the short story. We know this. I will say that this was a slower read for me until I got to the novella, which shares the title of the collection and closes the book. The Office of Historical Corrections novella pulls you into a layered story that at its surface it about family, friendship, competition and race,  but unravels to ask the questions like: what we are willing to do to protect ourselves and illusion of our future? How can truthful history change who we understand ourselves to be? 

One thing I appreciated about the short stories is that Evans never takes the obvious perspective. She experiments with point of view, giving the story we didn’t know was central. She considers the complexities of each character and while she builds them with empathy, is never afraid to show their full humanity.

If you are like me and pick this book up because you liked the title, you are going to be reading some great short stories. Just as in her book, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, some fascinating women’s stories are told. These are intelligent and sexy Black women from different parts of the country and different social status. The seven stories are about emotions and relationships. The story I liked the best was “Boys go to Jupiter” where a white, clueless college girl posts a social media picture of her wearing a bikini with a Confederate-flag  and has to face the repercussions.